Davy Jones' Harsh Reality
by Untamed Mists
Summary: What would really happen to a female on the Dutchman. Davy Jones can be cruel, but sometimes he is just a bitter, sorrowful soul. What starts out as torture turns into a quest with the stakes high as he has to fight another deadly power. No pairings.
1. Sea Devil

_Thud._

_Thud._

The silence was pierced by ominous thumping. Shivering sailors, near death, huddled at the foot of their captors, who seemed more sea than human. The thudding got louder, as though stamping out the final beats of the survivors' hearts. A figure emerged from the mist, looming out of the darkness. An outline of devil's horns crowned his head, and with each second step came the thump, like a gong signaling death. Approaching the group, he stopped, his face in shadows, studying the men before him. The sailor nearest to him cowered, sweat and blood pouring from his face. The captain took another step, reaching out with his left arm, flexing a crustacean claw in front of his victim. Then he bent down to the sailor, his face catching the dim light of the moon. The man gasped in terror, petrified by the sight before him. The Sea Devil was out to claim yet another innocent soul.

Davy Jones gazed at the man through merciless, icy eyes. His tentacles writhed slowly, glistening. Another one. Another faceless victim. Another spirit to break and torture, if he decided to join.

"Do you fear death?" The sailor started to shake. "Do you fear that dark abyss?" The man was nodding desperately, gasping, his mouth opening and closing like a dying fish's. "All your deeds laid bare, all your sins punished." Davy felt a sadistic pleasure at causing such fear. It was all he had left. "I can offer you…an escape. Join my crew, and postpone the judgment-uh. 100 years before the mast, will ye serve-uh?"

"…aye." It was all he needed to hear. Davy moved on, questioning the rest. He stopped at the second to last crouching form. Something was different about this one. He grabbed the sailor's neck with his claw, turning the victim's face up into full view…then let go as if he had been burned. A woman!  
Davy's eyes widened slightly. This was certainly…unexpected. Then he scowled. A woman caused his pain and problems. Because of her he had suffered. He felt no remorse over hurting innocent souls, this one shouldn't be any different. Now, he felt a boiling hatred in his chest. He hated her, because she stood for what had caused him such harm, what once was, what could never have been, what he loathed. He would enjoy taking out his fury on her.

He grabbed the barnacle encrusted handle of his broadsword, pulling it up and out of the sheath. Despite being covered with sea life, the blade was in superb condition. Davy felt that she was to be touched with a weapon only. He would not physically make contact with any female. Taking the point of the weapon to her throat, he asked, "Do you fear death?"

"Oh yes…please, don't kill me, I don't want to die…I- I have a family to go back to." The woman pleaded. Unfortunately for her, that was completely the wrong thing to say.

Family…Davy Jones loathed the word. It left a bitter taste of memories and sorrow. He stared at the woman, feeling anger rising up as she continued to beg him for her life. "Hah, so much for yer fear-uh. You're finding out just how cruel life is, wretch." He leaned in. "Die." He smiled cruelly as her fearful eyes leaked tears, and a scream of panic tore out of her mouth. With one liquid movement, Davy stabbed the sword through her chest. He didn't even bother driving it up to the hilt. Her wound oozed with blood, and crimson streaks staining her shirt. The doomed heart gave a few more struggling beats, pumping out the blood onto the floor. Her eyes went blank, and he gave her frozen face one last glance before turning away, wiping his bloodied sword on some seaweed from the Dutchman's mast. A stifled gasp made him turn sharply back. There, clutching onto her fallen companion, was another woman. Younger than the first, her black eyes stared fearfully into his own.

"I'll serve." She mumbled.

"What?" said Davy in disbelief. Never, in many years of sailing the seas had a woman offered her soul to him! At first he was tempted to drive his sword through her as well, but then he stopped and considered it. He'd have a woman on his ship, and be able to truly show her his wrath, to break and torture her spirit. It was a sadistic kind of fun. An evil grin spread across his face. "Ah accept yer offer."


	2. Quenching Defiance

Davy Jones let his tentacles fly over the keys. With each stroke was a release of emotion. His sorrow, his despair. His anger. The haunting yet beautiful melody floated over the ship, and the crew as they continued to work. No one dared to disturb the captain.

Calypso…she took his heart. Then she betrayed him. And yet here he was, cursed for eternity and still missing her. What use was love, when it only made you so weak? So susceptible to the agonizing hurt of a broken heart…Davy played harder, and the music escalated into a thundering crescendo.

Outside on deck, the young woman from the last raid gripped a rope with all her strength. The crew were pulling a heavy crate into the air. It needed then to be turned and set down on a higher part of the deck. Her name was Mai, and her hands were all bloodied from the rope. But the crewmen pulled harder than she could, and Mai lost her balance, falling to the deck and bumping one of the crew. This crew member had a conch shell for a head. When she bumped him, the head dislodged and fell. He released the rope and the crate fell with a heavy crash.

The bosun, Jimmylegs, brandished his whip at them with a snarl. "Haul that wench to her feet! Ye'll feel the cat for dropping that. Five lashes. Then it's your turn, Hadras!"

"No!" Mai got to her feet and stared at him. "You have no right, it was an accident-"

"Ten lashes for not holdin yer tongue!"

_Thud. Silence. Thud. Silence. Thud._

The crew grinned.

"What's this-uh?" Davy asked, glancing from fallen crate to Mai.

"It was an accident…"

"Ha! Ten lashes be owed, I believe." He looked expectantly to the bosun, who nodded to two of the crewmembers. They grabbed Mai and turned her with her back to Jimmylegs, pinning her against the railing. Then the whipping began. It hurt like hell, and Mai cried out with each strike till her throat was numb. At seven, her consciousness faded, but Jimmylegs continued the punishment. At long last, it was over, and the crewmen threw her down into the hold. Her back was ripped and raw.

Two of the crew, however, followed her down. They waited, making sure that the hold was empty, while throwing smug looks at the girl. Mai began to wake up, only aware of the horrendous pain in her back. The two crewmen grinned, she wouldn't put up any resistance. Slowly, Mai turned her head, and saw the two approaching figures, each with nasty looks on their faces. Vaguely, she began to understand that she was in more trouble, but her brain was too overwhelmed with pain to react.

"Get away…" she mumbled.

"Hey, we're here to keep you company…aren't you cold?" one of the crewmen said, smiling evilly. They started to sidle up to her.

"No…stop…" she mumbled again as one of them ran a deformed hand down her arm. This couldn't be happening…now she knew what they were going to do. She closed her eyes and braced herself as they pinned her to the wall and chained her…

Suddenly she heard the crewmembers scream with pain, and the sound of something hard hitting flesh. Opening her eyes, she saw the captain standing in front of her, swinging his broadsword at the two crewmen.

"Not on mah ship, ye don't-uh!" growled Davy. "Twenty lashes for the both of ya!" He stopped hitting them. "Now get back on deck-uh!" They scurried back up out of the hold. He glanced briefly at the girl, then swung his sword at her. Mai gasped, but then felt the chains falling away.

"Th-thank you…" she stammered, still shaken. But Davy merely sheathed his sword and stalked away. She felt relieved. At least that was one thing she didn't have to fear on this ship. She curled up in her pool of blood and fell asleep.

Up on deck, Davy Jones threatened his crew, telling them they would be punished severely if they were to touch the girl. She was to be treated like any other crewmember, but he told them not to hold back on the regular punishment. He then returned to his cabin. Once inside, he opened his locket, letting the memories wash over him…soon the locket's melody lulled the damned captain into sleep.

Pain sunk its sharp claws into Mai's back, and she woke with a start. Looking over her shoulder at her back, she was surprised that it had stopped bleeding already, and was starting to heal, probably due to the curse. She looked around, thinking of the future. What future? It was next to impossible to escape from this ship, and better treatment during her 100-year stay was also unlikely. Then footsteps echoed down the steps of the hold. A crewmember with barnacles over one eye and a wide brimmed hat came down.

"Captain says you're to return to yer duties. Ye'll be cleaning the cannons." Clanker said, then turned and left. Mai got to her feet with a groan, then headed to the cannons. None of the crew was by them, so she decided to try and get a little more rest while she was alone. After all, if someone came looking for her she'd hear them. Especially the captain, that thudding crab leg was enough to wake anyone up. Crawling under a cannon, she let her exhaustion pull her to sleep.

"Enjoying your break-uh?" Mai was awakened by a familiar voice. She looked up to see Davy Jones staring at her coldly. He grabbed her neck with his claw. How had he come up so quietly?

"Damn you…I swear, I'll get off this ship!" Mai screamed, hitting him in the chest. Davy Jones smirked and tightened his grip. "You can't keep me here forever-!" The rest of her words were cut off as he squeezed her windpipe harder, cutting off the air supply. Dragging the girl, Davy made his way up onto the deck.

"This one's been skippin' duty! Let her get reacquainted with the cat-uh." He ordered, finally letting go of Mai. "Ten lashes-uh." He thrust her towards the bosun.

"Just kill me then, you sadistic monster! I don't fear death! I don't fear you! Damn you to hell, though it seems that you already are!" she yelled. Davy Jones looked at her, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Fifteen lashes-uh!" he snarled, glaring.

The beating was brutal and relentless. By the time Jimmylegs was through, Mai was soaked in blood, and her back was torn open to the bone. She looked up, but Davy was gone. One of the crew pushed her to the side, burying his dagger in her back. She screamed in agony and rage. This wasn't even ordered punishment! With a roar, she grabbed the nearest crewman's sword and swung it at the offending one. Metal hit flesh and a full-out brawl ensued. He hit her across the stomach with his dagger, making her cough up blood. But, rather than dying, she got up and drove her sword through his head. Then Mai winced as metal balls on a length of chain were slammed into her legs, but the bones did not shatter. Truly maddened, she saw nothing but fire and blood and enemies.

"Enough!" all of the crew froze at their captain's order, who suddenly appeared from the shadows. Except for Mai. She staggered up to him, blood pouring from her wounds.

Davy Jones was annoyed. This girl was causing nothing but trouble for him and his crew. He would make sure to silence her spirit this time. Turning his icy blue gaze upon her, he scrutinized his female victim, pondering what punishment to dish out this time. He would have to get a bit more creative.

But Mai was too distracted by rage to be afraid. As her captain opened his mouth to say how she was to be punished, she stabbed her sword into his chest and twisted it. Blood so dark that it was almost black oozed onto the blade. Then, she saw something shiny in her captain's torn pocket.

"Do what ye may, you'll never break my spirit or take my soul, you corrupted creature!"

Davy was completely surprised. She dared to stab him?! Rage clouded his cerulean orbs, and he yanked out the sword, grabbing the handle and her hand with his claw. Then he applied pressure. The girl cried out as his claw pressed down hard on her fingers, still holding the sword. Then she screamed as his claws came together, cutting through handle and finger. With a sickly snap, her finger bones were severed from her tendon, until the digit was hanging by a thread of sinew.

Using her free hand, Mai snatched the shiny object from his pocket and slammed it into the mast. She saw a look of pain flash across his face as she did this. He pushed her aside and bent over to pick up the object. It was a heart shaped locket in the form of a crab, with a face in the center. And cracks were visibly moving across the surface from the hit. He carefully picked it up and returned it to his pocket, then turned back to Mai.

"Ye'll get two dozen for that, you damn whelp!" Davy hit her across the face, so hard that the marrow in her cheekbones was visible. He stalked over to the bosun and held out his right hand. With a grin, the bosun handed his whip to the captain. The crew chuckled evilly…

Two crewmen pinned her to the railing once again. Davy Jones raised the whip high, bringing it down with all his strength. One. Mai screamed in pain. The captain was terribly strong. He raised the whip again. Two. Mai knew that if she wasn't undead, she would die after a few of these horrible blows. Three. Whatever flesh had that had remained on her back was almost gone. Four. Blood foamed at the corners of her mouth, which was wide open, throat raw from screaming. Five. She would rather take the bosun's wrath anytime. Six. She was gasping for air. It hurt like hell. It was worse than hell. Seven. She'd rather be dead, how much she wished she were dead! Eight. No! No more! She couldn't take any more! Nine. The whip dug in along her spine, causing her to convulse in agony. Ten. Both Davy Jones and Mai were soaked in her blood.

Eleven. Davy was enjoying this. Twelve. She is paying dearly for her insolence! Thirteen. How he despised her. Fourteen. Both of them. Fifteen. He gave the whip a slight flick as he brought it down, causing it to curl around a rib, then yanking. Sixteen. No one, no one should ever defy him! Seventeen. He heard several ribs cracking. Eighteen. His locket! Nineteen. She broke his most treasured possession! Twenty. So ironic that something connected to Calypso should be cracked by a woman. Twenty-one. Mai seemed to be unconscious, but he would finish anyway. Twenty-two. He felt such sadistic pleasure at seeing her suffer! Twenty-three. He raised the whip one final time. Twenty four. This should teach her not to defy the Devil of the Sea. Then, he gave another blow, just for good measure. Davy stood there, panting slightly. Then he threw the crimson whip to the bosun and walked off.

He disappeared into the wall, walking out of the bottom of the Dutchman's hull. Gripping the wood with his claw, he let the seawater wash sweep over him, washing away the blood. Teleporting back to his cabin, he sat at his organ in silence. The girl's words came back to him…he was already damned to hell…how he hated his life…this miserable existence, where the only way to hide his sorrow was with his rage, where he thrived on the suffering of others. He missed being able to look forward to each day, to savor the rich happiness that life could bring, to have something worth living for. Now, stuck in this living hell, there was no escape for him. So he made sure that there was no escape for his crew too. Hopelessness was something he was all too used to feeling…


	3. A Night of Memories

The breeze played through the Dutchman's sails. Gentle waves caressed the ship's hull. It was the middle of the night, and for once, all seemed quiet aboard. But Davy couldn't sleep. Hunched over on the organ bench, too many memories flooded his mind, too many unanswered questions echoed. Getting up, he walked silently over to the door. His crab leg barely made a sound as he walked out, onto the deck.

Mai couldn't sleep either. Her wounds were aching still, though the blood was dripping softly now. Opening her eyes, she fought back a gasp. Striding through the shadows was the captain, his eyes distant. Mai prayed that he wouldn't turn and injure her further. But Davy's mind was elsewhere tonight. He continued, walking up to Greenbeard, who was at the wheel. The crewmember stood back, giving him the wheel, and went below deck.

Davy's hand ran over the wooden wheel that he had held so many times over countless years. He turned it slightly, adjusting the course, then leaned against it, looking out over the sea. Still so beautiful, so untamable. Despite being trapped on it, he couldn't help being drawn to it still. What had seemed a blessing in the beginning became a curse in the end.

He remembered the agony he felt when he had set eyes on the empty shore, when he had felt the broken promise. He had wanted to stop living, and yet he feared death. So, taking a dagger, he plunged it deep into his chest, ignoring the pain that blinded him, the blood that poured onto the floor. His physical pain matched his inner turmoil, but he knew that he would soon feel nothing. He wanted to feel nothing. As the heart hit the ground still beating with a foreboding thump, and the void grew within his chest, the ice hardened within his eyes. The transformation had begun, both within and without.

Suffering so much, he began to take pleasure in the suffering of others. His life was cruel…why should anyone else's be any different? His crew were the first to learn. To their shock, the firm but fair captain they knew was replaced by a completely different person. Sea life began to take over the ship, and Davy couldn't care less, though the crew fought this at first. And as the curse set in, Davy began to notice his beard hair sticking together in thicker strands. Then the hair fell out, leaving behind the skin-covered strands, which then grew suction cups. His right foot and left hand became very stiff, the skin toughening, toes retracting, and fingers fusing together, until they resembled a crab's limbs. The bones of his right index finger dissolved, and it stretched out, also growing suction cups.

In his heartbreak, he had played his organ, a new melody arising. His rage, sorrow, and hatred all flowed into it, until the music seemed to gain a life of its own. His emotions either disappeared with his heart or were released into the air as he played…but there were moments when he just couldn't help feeling again…

Davy was jolted out of his memories by the sound of hesitant footsteps. Turning his head, he easily sought out the approaching form of Mai in the near pitch blackness. Night vision was one of the more positive aspects of his transformation. Normally, his reaction would have been to growl and tell her to get lost, but in his current mood, he just wondered why on earth she was coming towards him.

Mai was wondering the same thing. All her instincts were telling her to run in the other direction, but her captain had looked so sad as he was staring out over the waves, and something in his gaze had drawn her. Perhaps now was the time to convince him to set her free.

"Evening, captain." She stopped at a respectful distance, not knowing what to say next. Davy nodded and turned away. Then, he looked back at her. Mai felt a chill go through her whole body as those piercing blue eyes seemed to look right through her, to look right into her soul.

"I shouldn't be here…I don't belong on this ship…" Mai took a breath. "I'm of no use to you." She paused. This was a gamble. "You know that."

Davy sighed slightly. "No one belongs on this ship-uh. But all of you are doomed, much like myself." His eyes glinted. "Now go, go while ya still can." It was a warning, and Mai understood what he meant. He wanted her to leave before he was back to his usual self. He did not want her disrupting whatever was going on in his head at the moment.

She turned and walked away, expecting a blow with each step. But it did not come. Before going back down below deck, she turned and glanced back at the captain. He was gazing up at the stars, his mind many miles away…


	4. Boarding

"Hard ta starboard-uh!" Davy Jones yelled out the order, water spewing from his mouth. The Dutchman reeled to the side, bringing the enemy ship within range of its triple guns. Crewmen scurried over the deck, loading the cannons and adjusting the sails. Maccus was turning the wheel. "Fire!"

The other ship was hit multiple times, and from the current angle, the Dutchman presented little opportunity for a counterattack.

Mai was up in the crow's nest, watching it all. She saw the wood splintering, the explosions blasting through the air. She thought of the sailors on that ship, and what awaited them. She wished she could change their fate. But she couldn't even change her own.

The Dutchman had the other ship against the wind, and they were closing in. "Ready to board-uh!" the captain commanded. Then he glanced up. "And it'll be her firs' boardin." He nodded at a crewman resembling a pufferfish, Koleniko, who scrambled up the ropes to the crow's nest. This would be interesting.

"Cap'n says you're to go with the boarders." Koleniko informed Mai. He pulled a short sword out of his belt and handed it to her. "Kill anyone who resists, bring the survivors over."

"But-" Mai gasped. She was expected to fight and kill now. But she didn't want to get another whipping, so she nodded and climbed down. She walked past Davy, trying not to look at him.

"I'll take you over," said Koleniko. He grabbed her arm with cold, clammy hands. Mai shuddered. Suddenly, everything went dark. The next thing she knew, she was standing on the deck of the other ship. Around her, the cursed crew were charging, attacking the sailors. She stood there, not knowing what to do. The other crew wasn't attacking her, and perhaps she could escape in the confusion. She ran over to the other side of the deck, out of sight. Scrambling over to the first cabin door she saw, Mai ran inside.

Davy watched the fight from the Dutchman's deck. He was feeling like participating today. Taking out his broadsword, he teleported to the other ship. The sailors rushed him, and he cut them down, one by one. Davy swung his sword, meeting that of another sailor. They traded a few blows. But Davy was just warming up. With a sharp twist, he buried the blade in the man's side, and showering the deck with blood as he pulled it out from his collapsed victim. Hadras' head rolled past the corpse.

"Follow my voice, follow- no, that's a mast." The conch-shaped head was yelling. Seeing Davy, he said sheepishly, "Oh, sorry captain, I got decapitated again." Davy chuckled slightly, then kicked the head to the other side of the deck. Jimmylegs, who was walking by, kicked it further. It wasn't often that the captain decided to join their boardings, but he certainly made it more interesting.

Mai locked the door, then noticed that the cabin wasn't empty. A lady was standing in the middle, staring at her. "So you're a pirate, huh?" she asked.

Mai shook her head. "No, I'm one of the prisoners, I escaped. Is there anywhere we better we can hide? They'll come in here any moment!" She felt panicky. The woman nodded.

"There's a storage hold right beneath this cabin, and there's a small hatch that we might be able to open. But it takes two people, so pull as hard as you can." The woman pointed to a handle jutting out of the floor. She went over to it, followed by Mai. They pulled on it with all their strength, but it refused to open.

"Come on…" pleaded Mai. Hope was so near, yet so far! The hatch was refusing to budge. If they made it, they had a chance. If they didn't…

_Thud. Thud. _"Oh no!" Mai pulled so hard she heard something pop in her arm. Inch by inch, the hatch was sliding open. "Quick, get in!" she pushed the woman forward. They were hurriedly closing the hatch when they heard someone clear their throat. Turning, Mai was horrified to see Davy leaning out of the wall, smoking his pipe. He stepped out of it and towards them.

_"Do you fear death?" _ Davy put away his pipe slowly. They were at his mercy, and he didn't have any. Drawing his sword, he chuckled. "You 'ave no chance-uh, agains' the sea!" With each step, that crab leg did what it does best: thud ominously. Moving quickly, he dodged Mai's sword and flung her aside with his claw. Then he turned his attention to the new female victim. "Life is cruel. You are about to learn."

"No. I believe in the goodness of life." The woman faced him. "Don't make me suffer. Just kill me. I don't want to end up like her. I have no regrets. Whatever did the world do to you to make you so cruel?"

Davy was silent for a few seconds. Then he raised his sword. "One of the lucky ones, then…" He was interrupted by a sob. Turning, he saw tears running down Mai's cheeks. She knew it was pointless to protest. Davy looked back to the woman. Her green eyes were serene, ready for their fate. "You…have no fear-uh. 'tis not often I run inta one like you."

She laughed, and Davy blinked. "There's always hope, even when there's none. For you, young prisoner," she looked to Mai, then back to Davy, "And even for you, Devil of the Seas." She took a step towards him, waiting. She knew he would kill her. She wasn't afraid. Mai stared in awe and admiration. In one smooth, lightning fast move, Davy brought the sword through her throat. Then, he shook his head in disbelief.

"How deluded she was-uh." Without another glace at the body, he swept by Mai, grabbing her roughly by the shoulder, and thrust her through the door. With his other hand, he wiped his sword against the frame of the door.

Back on the Dutchman, the survivors were forced to their knees before the captain. He strode before them, and they all looked up at him in horror. Then, he seemed to come to a decision. Turning back, he _thunked_ towards his crew. Mai watched him pass.

"There are no survivors-uh!"


	5. Sunny Day for a Shark

When one thinks of the Flying Dutchman, you usually picture it sailing through dark storms and turbulent seas. But bright sunny days actually do happen. And so it was one of those days today. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, nor a whisper of wind to be felt. The air was hot and humid, so thick it was hard to breathe. The heat was overwhelming. They couldn't go underwater and ease the temperature because of Mai, since she didn't yet have gills. None of the crew was too happy about this. Neither was the captain.

In his cabin, Davy Jones was dozing, the damp walls keeping out a bit of the heat. He didn't feel at all like going out on deck. His energy was seeping away, unused. He'd shed his coat and hat, but it wasn't helping much. His skin was dry and itchy, and his siphon was sucking air in and out with difficulty. Then a knock came from the door. Davy opened his eyes and looked around dully.

"Enter." He called. In the doorway stood Mai.

"You summoned me, captain." She stood there, wondering what he had called her for and hoping that she wouldn't get flogged again.

He noticed her nervous glance and laughed slightly. "In this heat neither the crew nor myself have the energy to whip you. I called you because I've had enough of this-uh. You are to go in a longboat while the Dutchman goes down."

"Aye, cap'n," answered Mai. It would be good to get away from the crew for a little while. They had been pestering her lately. But strangely enough, a few were being nice, though not overly. Koleniko, and, surprisingly, Jimmylegs were two of the few who tolerated her. The bosun told her that he hadn't had a good whipping practice like that in a long time since she came around, so he was glad that she joined the crew as this would ensure plenty of fun opportunity for flogging, as well as entertainment from Davy flogging her. Mai was a bit doubtful of his reasons, but she was glad for some company nevertheless. Koleniko had taken to teaching her a few sword moves, so that she 'wouldn't embarrass the crew' on the next raid.

Davy, however, had remained as cold as ever, taking every opportunity he could get to dish out punishment. Mai still had escape on her mind, but it seemed impossible at the moment.

"Tell Maccus to give the order for down as soon as ye're in the boat. And don't you try rowing away, we'll be right beneath you, and the Kraken may need a snack-uh." Davy said.

"Okay." Mai turned and left.

Davy sat at his bench, listening to the ship. He could hear the creaking wood as the restless souls trapped within it shifted. He felt the ship's own unique aura calling to him. It rocked slightly back in forth on the gentle waves. An order was shouted from above, and the Dutchman tilted downwards. Davy heard the water seep in from beneath his door, sighing in relief as it flowed over his dry skin and cooled his tentacles. Grabbing his hat and coat from the bench and putting them on, he began to play. The melody was slower this time. It spun through the notes lazily, almost in a tired way. The music was further warped by the water, and it eerily floated over the ship.

Up in the longboat, Mai watched as the Dutchman sank below the waves. She looked around. Not another vessel in sight. No hope for escape. And even if there was, what ship could match the Sea Devil? She decided to just enjoy the little time she had off the cursed ship. She went to the edge of the boat. Since when had she had a swim? It was almost funny, sailing on the sea yet never actually being in it. She slipped over the side and started swimming with a breaststroke in a circle around the boat. It felt really good to be swimming again, though she was afraid to look under the water in case she saw the Kraken hanging around.

Suddenly, something brushed by her foot. Mai looked around, then started to swim back to the boat, but the current had carried it farther away. It brushed by her again, and, mustering her courage, she took a breath and looked under the water. A gray torpedo shot by, nudging her. Looking more carefully, she saw that it was a shark.

Davy walked out on deck. He looked up, past the various fish, and saw Mai swimming around. Circling her was a lemon shark. Davy sensed that the shark was fully fed and just curious, but he decided to have some fun. He sent a strong mental command to the animal.

Mai screamed as the shark grabbed her side in its mouth, digging in the sharp teeth. The shark shook its head, and the water turned crimson. She clawed at its jaws, trying to pry them open. She had left her sword in the boat. The shark let go, then grabbed her leg.

It was like watching a dog with a chew toy. All the crew had stopped their work and were watching with delight. Davy smirked with each strike the shark made at his command. Jimmylegs was nearly hopping up and down with excitement.

Mai was gasping for breath. The shark was pulling her underwater, yet always not far enough for her to start drowning. She wondered how much blood she lost. Even immortality couldn't heal all wounds.

To his absolute shock, Davy felt something: a stab, just one stab, of guilt. He looked at Mai. He looked at his crew. Why on earth was he putting all of them through this torture? The shark immediately released Mai and swam away. Cursing himself for having just one moment of weakness, Davy stormed by his crew, knocking Penrod over, and slammed the door to his cabin. The crew couldn't figure out why he was angry. Maybe because the shark left. Then again, he could control most marine creatures, so the shark had left because he let it. Must be something else. In any case, they got back to work as Maccus gave the order to rise.

Thankful that the attack was over, Mai crawled into the boat and collapsed in it. Then, the Dutchman burst through the water. In all her pain, Mai couldn't help but feel fleeting admiration. For all its evil, it must have been a beautiful ship once. She let herself be taken overboard, and thrown in the brig as usual. At least here she could heal in peace.

Davy ran his hand over the huge scar on his chest. That void would never be truly filled. Going over to a shelf, he retrieved a book and began to read.


	6. Duel and land

To everyone's surprise, Davy turned the ship towards land. It was an island, all alone in the midst of the Caribbean. Since his ten years weren't up, no one knew exactly what he planned on doing there. Mai was in the brig once again for slacking. Thankfully the captain seemed to have too much on his mind to take much notice of her lately. Besides, better down in the brig than up on deck, from where she could see the sharks circling the Dutchman. For some reason, many of them were gathering around. They made her really nervous after her previous shark attack. Maybe Davy was doing it on purpose just to make her nervous, though Mai wasn't sure, since if he wanted to do damage he usually did it more directly.

"Land ho!" a call came up from the crow's nest. Mai looked up, wondering if she'd be let out. She hadn't seen land in what seemed like a very long time, and suddenly she was craving to be back on it. The notion of escape seemed so tantalizingly close. She heard the telltale _thud_ of Davy's crab leg, and shivered involuntarily. But thankfully the footsteps were heading away.

"Bring 'er closer-uh! All hands step to!" Davy ordered briskly. Then, he said more quietly, "And fetch the girl-uh."

Mai heard footsteps coming down. At least they weren't Davy's irregular ones. Though no doubt that he had something else planned for her. Would this torture ever end?

Jimmylegs unlocked her cell door, and grabbed her roughly by the arm, marching her up the stairs. Up on deck, Mai got a glimpse of the island. It was all steep cliffs and jagged peaks. What on earth was Davy up to?

The sharks were circling ever closer. Davy saw her shudder. This would be entertaining. He ordered for Mai to be led to one corner of the rail. One snap of his crab claw was all it took to make the crew fall silent. Mai waited nervously. "Who here will be fightin our new member in a shark duel-uh?" he asked. Several members raised their hands. "Ye firs', Ratlin."

"What?" Mai asked indignantly, "What the heck is this all about?"

Koleniko nudged her forward. "Like a regular duel, except all the blood is to be slashed in the sharks' direction. The one who bleeds his opponent to them the most wins." He explained. "And if you can chuck yer enemy overboard, it's an extra bonus." He handed her a sword. "Enjoy."

Mai gulped nervously, but one look at Davy confirmed the fact that there was no backing out of this. She raised her sword and faced Ratlin. He came at her suddenly, and she was barely able to block the blow. Her skills were poor when compared to most of the crew's. But, taking advantage of the moment when Ratlin stopped and laughed at her, she slashed his shoulder open, splattering fish and slime across the deck. Some of it even got overboard, where the sharks gobbled it up hungrily. However, the sight of their white teeth digging into the raw fish flesh made Mai hesitate, and Ratlin caught her arm with his blade. Crimson blood flowed onto the deck, and Mai applied pressure to stop the flow. By now she learned that Ratlin's main weakness was his arrogance. He'd just stop and cackle at her whenever he got an advantage in. So, she counterattacked and her determination surprised even herself. She wasn't afraid of Ratlin. She'd been tortured by the Sea Devil himself, and after him she certainly wasn't afraid of this little fish-barnacle!

Twisting in the air, she brought down the sword as hard as she could onto Ratlin's, and kicked him in the shin. He lost his balance and fell onto his side. But instead of finishing the fight, Mai couldn't launch that final blow, even though it wouldn't actually kill him.

"Mai wins!" declared Clanker. The crew began to yell out comments about the fight, but Mai only had ears for Davy's inevitable order.

"Next-uh!" He barked. Palifico stepped forward, brandishing his sword. Mai gulped again. This time she lead the fight, trying a new style of attacking as much as she could, not giving Palifico enough time to counter. But he found an opening and stabbed her leg. She bit her lip in pain and swung her blade at his head, chipping the coral-like formations there. All the while, the sharks circled, draining her confidence and chilling her blood. She rushed forward, but Palifico sidestepped and tripped her, pinning her down with the point of his weapon at her throat.

After Clanker nearly pushed her to the sharks, and Jimmylegs bled the hell out of her, Mai could barely stand from blood loss. Wheelback and Penrod easily defeated her, and with one swipe of his sword, Davy sent her plummeting down into the shark-infested waters. Mai gave a blood-curdling scream of terror as she went, certain that these were her last moments. What an awful way to die…though probably better than the Dutchman…

Mai felt a huge tiger shark grab her. Bracing herself for the final bite, she closed her eyes…But it didn't come. She was being held in the shark's mouth, but the razor sharp teeth were doing nothing more than slightly piercing her skin as she lay on them. Turning her head up, she looked up at the ship. Her eyes sought out the captain. He had a concentrated look on his face, his eyes fixed on the shark. Was he sparing her? Why?

Suddenly, the shark raised its head from the water. She now saw that Davy had appeared, astride the largest great white shark she had ever seen. She was still too terrified to react. The teeth all around her seemed to be sucking her very breath away. What was he planning?

Davy glanced at her briefly, enjoying her terror. "Ah have somethin ta do 'ere, and ye'll 'ave a part ta play-uh." As if by some invisible signal, both sharks turned and headed towards the island. Mai was completely clueless as to what was to come.


	7. Jaws of the Island

The sharks swam towards the island. Davy was on the gigantic great white, while Mai was being held in the maw of the tiger shark. She was numb with shock and loss of blood, while Davy seemed to be thinking hard on the task at hand, though Mai didn't know what it was. The island loomed up towards them, studded with peaks and sheer cliffs. Perhaps Davy wanted her to retrieve something from the land? Mai wondered. But no, he'd send other members of his crew if that were so. And he certainly wouldn't be taking a shark and getting this close to land.

She wanted to protest, to yell out, but fear swallowed up her voice. The razor sharp teeth that surrounded her drained her spirit. With every second was the possibility that the shark would snap shut its jaws, that Davy would command it to put her out of her misery. But would that prospect be so entirely unwelcoming? All she had to look forward to was a life as a slave of the Sea Devil…

But Davy had more important things to deal with first. Here it was, at last…what he had been searching for…and to think, such an important task would fall to such an insignificant girl…He was almost thankful that she would probably die. Then again, she was a source of sadistic pleasure for him. Nothing like giving a few dozen whips when he was in a bad mood. Davy shook his head, clearing his mind. Now was not the time for that. Whether the girl lived or died would not be completely in his hands. If all went according to plan…but these things hardly did.

Davy sat high on the shark, feeling its rough skin grate against the hard surface of his crab leg. The sharks swam along at an unnaturally fast pace. Such was his power, to control any marine creature if he so chose. The Kraken was the ultimate exhibition of that power. Ever since he had discovered the powerful cephalopod many years ago, it had proved to be an invaluable weapon against his enemies. The sharks Davy used more rarely until the recent addition of Mai to his crew. She had a phobia of them. But the creatures could also prove useful picking off any survivors if he was attacked by multiple vessels, since the Kraken could only eat one ship at a time.

Much to Davy's surprise, the Kraken had more intelligence than he reckoned an animal could. When his mind linked to its, rather than just giving out commands in a one sided conversation, there was a mutual exchange. To him it really did become a 'pet', albeit a destructive one. It was hard to teach the Kraken that the Dutchman was not a chew toy. Many a mast was knocked down before it was properly 'trained'. Though Davy could punish the Kraken, but unlike any other animal, it could not be replaced. So he put up with occasional misdemeanours, and eventually the two formed a bond, which was based only partially on orders and strict control, and partially on trust and respect. The Kraken was not a mindless servant like some of his crew, it obeyed him for different reasons, such as a dog obeys its master. Davy had no compassion for anyone, human or animal. If the ships that the Dutchman overcame were carrying live cargo, it was all the better of a rare feast. And the captain got first pick.

But the Kraken was of no use for the current situation.

The pair of sharks was at the edge of the island now, but they were rounding it. Mai wondered if there was an accessible shore on the other side.

Turns out, the other side was even steeper. But at the foot of the cliffs, where stone met sea, a dark space was showing. A cave under the island. And it was for that cave that the sharks were heading, their feeble minds standing no chance against Davy's powerful commands.

So we won't be getting out of the water after all, though Mai. The cave was filled with deep, dark water. As they neared it, a sudden feeling of dread shot through her chest eerily. Davy glanced at her briefly before they entered. The sunlight soon disappeared from view as they went deeper in. To her surprise, Mai could see pretty well in the dark. Must be a side effect from being on the crew for such a while, she thought. Strange shapes appeared from the gloom. After a moment she realized that they were stalagmites. No stalactites, she noticed. Probably too deep for any to come up.

A slight light began to come from ahead. It cast Davy's features in a soft glow, and his eyes gleamed with anticipation. Mai shivered involuntarily as he glanced at her again. His eyes were chips of ice, except now they were filled with a ghostly flame. He returned his gaze to the front, searching for something hungrily. Then it came into view. The glow was coming from the water surrounding a plateau which rose up from the depths.

Davy stood up on the shark. Mai wondered how he did it without falling over, with the shark being so slippery and him having to balance on a crab leg. He said, looking her in the eye, "Do you fear death? Because now it's time fer yer part-uh!"


	8. A Different Kind of Torture

Suddenly, Mai felt an overwhelming pain flood her senses. It was as if something huge was pressing down upon her, and yet it was a mental agony. Her eyes began to mist over, but she still saw Davy glaring at her with an intensity she had never seen before.

Her mind gave a lurch that she did call for, and she became horribly aware of an intruding, dark presence in her consciousness. She tried to raise her hands to clutch at her head, to open her mouth and scream, but her body would not obey her. Her thoughts raced, panicking. Then they were thrust into another direction. Again she felt the jaws of that shark tear at her. Again she saw that fearless woman being slain. Again she felt Davy whip her. Again she gazed upon the Dutchman for the first time.

"No…no!" Mai managed to cry. She saw her home, her beloved family, her long dead brother…Then they were all gone in flashes, and she was back in the jaws of the shark facing Davy. He smirked.

"So…ye are wondering what ah am doing to you-uh?" She heard his voice clearly, yet his lips were not moving. "It is in mah ability to control all creatures of the sea…and since you have come onta my crew, ye have become part of the sea as well. The transformation has begun, though you may not have noticed it. Already a large part of you has become lost to the Dutchman. The greater the grip I gain on yer soul, the more I can control you. But fer a mind as weak as yers, I have no problem at all-uh, despite you having only recently joined." He could now sense Mai's fear as much as ever, too.

So that was it…that slimy bastard was in her mind…thought Mai. She flinched as Davy tightened his grip. He could hear her every thought, then. What was he going to do?! Panic filled her once again. Then, she felt Davy rake her mind with such force that she saw darkness at the edge of her vision. He was going through her memories and thoughts, trying to find something…

Davy seized some images. The shark attacking her, her companion being slain, and…a long past one of her mother dying. He thrust them at her, magnified, and felt her scream inwardly as they played before her eyes. The blood and teeth were amplified. Then, Mai saw a close up her mother's lifeless eyes. They were then eaten by a shark, which spat out the mangled remains of her brother before turning around and going after her. Davy pressed on, driving out her deepest, darkest fears. Truly breaking her.

At long last, it was over. Mai had lost track of time. What took five minutes seemed to be an eternity. She was shattered inside, still horrified and so plagued by her fear that she wanted to hide away somewhere and die. She had no rational thoughts or feelings, her emotions had run dry and she felt an empty numbness. Half conscious, she would have slumped forward in the shark's jaws had Davy released her. The shark swam forward, to the edge of the plateau. He made her body stand up and climb onto it from the shark's jaws. Her eyes were empty and wet. Davy felt a similar sort of numbness, since he refused to feel any guilt, and yet this was going a bit beyond a simple whipping.

Mai stepped forward at Davy's command. The light shone brightly into her eyes, but her brain was not registering it. At the far end, on a sort of rocky pedestal, laid a greenish turquoise sphere. Davy's breath shortened in excitement as he saw it through Mai's eyes. Several circular lines composed of strange symbols enclosed the area around the sphere. Davy glanced at them briefly. But that was what Mai was for. He brought her foot over the first one. Blue light exploded from the ground, penetrating her body just as Davy gave one last order and withdrew to a safe distance from her mind, maintaining only the slightest connection. A force began to ravage her mentally, but Davy had pushed Mai so deep into the recesses of her psyche that it could not reach her. A few moments passed, and the force subsided. A grin floated onto Davy's face. That went well. Onward.

Davy reached for her mind once more, and had her continue to walk. He settled himself more comfortably, and she stepped over the next line. This one was red. A blinding flash filled the cave, and in an instant Mai's body was burned almost in half. But Davy maintained his control, and the curse prevented her from dying. She continued to walk for the final line, the last barrier.

He had been right about the two other barriers and their loopholes, but from what he had found out this one would be a tad harder. It was the reason he needed Mai for this and not another of his crew. But it would be difficult. He reached deeper, then hesitated slightly, before gently touching her mind. But her spirit would not stir. Had he gone too far?

Davy thought fast. He needed Mai to come up out of her stupor for this. Davy shook her more, flashed images of sharks, all to no avail. He was getting desperate now. He quickly searched her memories, and came up with the one of the woman who displayed no fear as he had advanced to kill her, who didn't believe that life was cruel. He concentrated on it, then, played it out to her, modifying it slightly.

"There is always hope…even when there's none…" Mai heard, through a thick silence, familiar words. "There is still hope for you. Do not give up. You can still have a chance." Opening her eyes, Mai saw the woman from the boat looking at her with serene green eyes.

"You…didn't fear death?" Mai said to her.

"Wake up, Mai." called the woman. "Your tormentor is merely someone who has been tormented himself. His hatred to you is his hatred to someone who hurt him more deeply than he is hurting you. He will free you."

Mai thought about what she said for a moment. Well, she certainly didn't want to remain down here (wherever that was) for much longer. When supposedly dead mortal people were talking it was never a good sign. She pushed upward, and found that indeed she could.

About time, thought Davy as he retreated slightly from her mind. Mai was coming to, but he had to seize the right moment if he wanted to make this work. Just as she was regaining her awareness, he made a sudden, sharp move and thrust her body over the last line.

She was on the beach of an island, and before her, beaten and bloodied, lay her torturer. Davy Jones. His heart was in her hand, and a dagger was in the other. Mai couldn't figure out how she got there.

"Here he is…the one you hate most…" A voice echoed from empty space. "Kill him, repay him for what he's done to you! And you will be free."

"R-really?" Mai raised the dagger. Davy looked up at her. Their eyes met, and Mai saw almost nothing but cold hatred, though there was a shred of panic. He began to beg for mercy. But he had never given her any, so why should she?

"Free me." She told him. "Free me and I'll spare your life." But he refused.

But the words of that woman were coming back to her. Did he really deserve to die? Even after all he did…there must have been something horrible that got him that way…She felt no joy at seeing him suffer. No sadistic pleasure at the prospect of revenge or killing him. Killing him would just confirm to him that life was cruel…

Life wasn't cruel. And she wasn't a heartless killer. Mai gulped and dropped the dagger. "No! No I won't!" she screamed. "I'm not that way…not everyone has had the world be that cruel to them." She turned and ran. The vision disintegrated, and she was standing on a rocky plateau again.

Davy was satisfied, but still disturbed by her reaction, though he had predicted it. The final barrier called for an innocent, kind soul. Which was why no one else but Mai would do. His crew wouldn't be able to resist slaughtering him, even if they knew beforehand it was just an illusion. Because this illusion really dug into the consciousness and any awareness of the fact before would disappear.

He quickly resumed control of Mai, but she put up a more formidable resistance than he expected nonetheless. She struggled, but Davy increased the pressure, and overwhelmed her flimsy defences. Now came the dangerous part. He had to partially release his control over his own body so that he could let his power flow through Mai. For the girl, it was like being submerged in the darkest of seas, as his immense presence flowed into her soul. She noticed that although her every thought and emotion was exposed, his own mind was completely shielded from her.

Just as Davy let his awareness slip, another presence meandered into the cave.


	9. Grip of the Sea

Davy concentrated, letting loose his power. Mai felt like she was drowning now, and soon she was pushed down into the depths of her soul once more. He blinked, and Mai's eyelids flipped up and down. He had full control now. Almost giddy with anticipation, the risks involved had flown his mind at once. He was so close.

This time, rather than remote controlling Mai's body, Davy just had to move his own hand, and Mai's would lift instead. He stepped forward, the light of the mysterious sphere bright in her eyes. Davy felt his (or rather, Mai's) heart pounding. He approached the rocky pedestal and stretched out Mai's arm. His own body was still on the shark, chin resting on his tentacles and eyes empty, but he only had a remote connection to it now.

Davy felt currents of ancient power shift as he approached. They were resisting him. But Davy's eyes started to glow with an icy light, and he summoned his own power of the sea, commanding the forces before him with all the ocean's vast roar. His strength flowed through this weak human vessel, though surprisingly Mai wasn't killed by it. Davy could not afford to lose his pawn right now, so he was as careful as he could be with such a huge amount of power. Her body now emitted a clear blue glow.

A hiss of breath left his lips as the resistance weakened. Davy then focused the aura around her left hand, and silvery water started to ebb from around it, not falling, just flowing around it as if propelled by a stream. He reached forward, muttering a few words incoherent to most ears.

He was panting slightly now. Gathering all his might, Davy drove the force forward with a roar. A visible wave, not of water, but of energy, rose up from Mai and grew ever higher. This was purely a matter of elemental power against power. The tsunami was made of light and shadow, the highlights and shades were passed quickly in its escalating currents. Then, it crashed down on the rocky pedestal. In an explosion that nearly killed Mai despite her curse, Davy broke through at last.

Davy was feeling like he was going to pass out, so much of his energy had been used, but nonetheless he marched triumphantly forward and extended Mai's other hand. Now he would get his prize, then hurry back to the Dutchman…and Mai, what do to with her now? …he'd save her for more torture since she managed to survive this.

But Mai wasn't moving. Davy couldn't move. Something had gone wrong. The captain then felt a moment of something he had not felt in centuries- a moment of sheer panic. It suddenly came crashing down on him how vulnerable he was right now, he had let down his defences and released control over his own body to do this- so either there was another barrier he hadn't anticipated, or someone had taken advantage of his state. Which was, to put simply…not good!

And yet he recognized this power that was holding him immobile…he cursed inwardly for being so stupid. And now he could lose it all because of it.

Footsteps echoed loudly in the cave. Davy was still stuck in Mai's body, unable to move. Something was blocking him from connecting with both his own body and hers. And that something walked up to him, knocking Mai down with a barking laugh. Davy could not right himself, so he went crashing down.

'_Some things never change, eh? You damn bastard! Too weak to get it yerself huh!' _Davy gave a mental shout. All he got in return was a snicker. He felt Mai being flipped over, and found himself looking up at a dark figure. Mai's eyes were still overwhelmed by the bright light of the previous happenings, so it took a moment for Davy's night vision to kick in. Once it did he swore.

He was looking at a woman who hardly looked human. Her hair was a shade of dark green, and her eyes were amber. When she smiled, she had fangs, and her nails were like rounded silver razors. She wore golden blue cloth, and at her belt were several oddly shaped blades.

"Greetings, Davy Jones. It's been a while. I always knew that your lust for power would present an opportunity for me. And now it has. You, so desperate to capture what you're after, have been captured yourself…stuck between your body and that of a human, unable to reach either."

'_Shut up ye cocky bitch! _ Snarled Davy mentally. He could not even move his lips. '_Zambia, I thought you've already rotted. How the hell did you survive-uh?!'_

"Ah, a bit nervous now, are we, Jones?" Zambia smirked. "That for once, you aren't the one in control? Hah, to think that control of the seas was given to someone as weak as you. I regret that Calypso ever had a say in the balance of power. But then again, you've had to pay quite a price for your status as ruler of the ocean, have you not?" Here Zambia paused, enjoying every moment of Davy fuming in anger.

'_Don't think that yer plan will be succeeding!' _Retorted Davy, but inside he was desperately searching for any exit from this situation. '_Ah have more power than you will ever take. It is not so easy to stop me-uh!'_

"Arrogant as usual I see." Zambia observed. "That's your problem. You act on impulse without thinking, and most often it is to my benefit, not yours. After today you will be no more. With the power from your prize I will destroy you until you are nothing more than a shadow. Unable to die, but unable to wreck your fury on anything or anyone. The rightful ruler has come forth, and you have no choice but to surrender."

_'Yer idiotic speeches have not changed either-uh'. _Davy growled, and thought fast. Zambia was a heathen goddess, like Calypso, so killing her had never been easy. Because he had tried. Oh had he tried. And now, with this destructive power she was about to obtain, she'd be near unstoppable.

Zambia turned and walked to the pedestal and reached for the sphere. "Much thanks for doing all the work obtaining this for me. Without you I could never have done it."

'_No!' _Davy gave an involuntarily yell of desperation. He thrashed, but could not get a response from his body or his power. The only thing left to him was his mind. At least that, she could not penetrate. He glanced over to the shark his body was sitting on, and saw that he was chained. A sort of spell then. '_Bloody chains. Damn you to hell, Zambia!'_

But she ignored his insults. It had always been that way. When he first got put into power with his curse, she had tried to thwart him many times. After a certain battle, Davy thought that she had been killed. But he was wrong. Now she was back to take what she thought was rightfully hers. She slipped the bonds on him while he was distracted and in Mai's body. Had he been fully aware, he would have been able to prevent that easily. She was no match for him head on. And that was what was eating away at Davy right now. Being overpowered was one thing, but such a low trick, with such a weak opponent…so frustratingly infuriating!

He could only watch as she grabbed the glowing sphere. She made contact, and the light flared up as it consumed her. In the next instant, she turned back to him, the sphere in her hand and her eyes flaming. The next thing Davy knew, the light and heat had increased to an unbearable degree with an explosion and he fell into blackness.


	10. Mai's Recovery

Mai gradually became aware of something shapeless moving around her. Heavy silence pressed on her ears. But the most wonderful sensation was in her mind. Gone was the weight of darkness that had trapped and broke her, flooding her mind and possessing her body. She felt only her own mind. Pure, free. No one was there to suppress her spirit or control her soul. She relished this freedom, this ability to think and move as she pleased, and though she had not been robbed of it for long, it had felt like an eternity enslaved.

She opened her eyes slowly. Pitch black darkness. But it did not scare her. She blinked, and water flowed over her eyes. Water? She lay there for a while, not thinking about what had happened or what was happening, simply enjoying her mind's freedom. She moved her hand, and felt liquid swishing over it. The sides of her neck were sore. As she breathed in, she noticed that the air had a strange quality to it, and with each breath her neck hurt. Raising her hand to it, she felt several slits beneath her fingers. Water flowed through them…

Something was nagging at the corner of her mind, but she could not grasp it. Some realization eluded her. Opening her eyes wide, she focused her gaze. She couldn't see anything up above her, so she propped herself up on her elbows, almost forgetting what it was like to move them. She looked around. Mai was lying on a hard, rocky bottom. In the distance, she saw foggy shapes of boulders and walls. It was almost like being inside a cave…_The cave!_

It all came back to her, serving on the Dutchman, entering this cave with Davy Jones, being held in the maw of a shark, and…She only had bits and pieces after that. Mai shook her head, trying to clear it, and felt that her hair was floating. She was…underwater. But how? Had Davy left her? Or had he freed her? No…for despite believing, for one fleeting moment, that she was free of his clutches, the slits on her neck were gills. So the curse still held her. Memories of the torture she had gone through made Mai shiver involuntarily, and she felt tears prick at her eyes. Then she decided to let it all out.

She began to sob, her salty tears mingling with the water around her. Horror, anguish, and finally relief were shed from her eyes. After a few minutes of this, she felt better. It was never good to let such strong emotions eat away at you from the inside without letting them out. Now, she could think more clearly about the situation at hand. She sat up, and, seeing nothing more than boulders on the bottom surrounding her, wondered what to do next. She certainly wasn't going back to the Dutchman. Perhaps Davy had discarded her after doing whatever he had wanted to do. So she would be free to find her way back to land, or at least a ship. Or she could stay on the island, though there was a chance that the Dutchman would still be around. Then again…maybe Davy had lost her accidentally? Or he thought she was dead?

These ideas and many more flew through Mai's head. She tried to slow herself down, and then became aware of the fact that she was hungry. _So there! _Mai told herself._ The curse is starting to wear off if I'm getting hungry, since the crew don't need to eat. That means I'm close to being free…_But if the curse wore off completely, she'd lose her newly grown gills and drown! She had to escape. Though her stomach was starting to hurt now, so she would try and grab something edible on the way up. Mai glanced around, but despite her night vision, could only just make out a silhouette of seaweed wrapped around a big boulder, it was so devoid of light in there. Though the thought of eating it made her cringe, Mai was feeling more and more weak, so she knew that she needed something to replenish her energy supply. She stumbled to her feet, and moved towards it. It was in a particularly dark area, so as she came towards it she couldn't see more than the contour. There seemed to be several strands attached to the rock. It surprised her that anything could survive in here.

Mai reached out and grasped the seaweed, grimacing at how squishy it was, and pulled. But it wouldn't budge. Suddenly, her night vision got worse. The curse was weakening! She needed this food now. She selected another strand and pulled again. But this time it became clear that this wasn't seaweed. Though it seemed to smell edible. Mai felt it more carefully, then froze in horror. It was a tentacle.

She waited for him to rise up and grab her, to reach for his broadsword or to invade her mind again. She couldn't move, and was frozen with terror, despite every instinct screaming at her to run. But the seconds ticked by, and nothing happened. Mai carefully glanced his way, and screwed up her eyes, trying to see. For a moment, she felt that it was much easier to breathe, the hunger went away and she could see Davy Jones sprawled out before her. Then her vision flickered, as did her breathing. She couldn't figure out what the heck was going on. Then it came to her. Something had gone wrong. The curse was flickering because his life was doing the same. He was dying.

What to do…what to do…would she be able to make it to the surface in time? Better that than to stay here and most likely die beside her tormentor. She turned and started to swim up. Her night vision was gone. She swam with long strokes, but each breath was harder and harder to take. Finally, she was choking and had to stop. She clutched at her neck as she felt the gills narrow and start to seal over. Her head started spinning. She barely had the strength to move. She panicked, though her floundering only made her go back down. But as she did, she found that she could breathe again, and her neck hurt as the gills widened. As she felt herself land on the rocky bottom, she looked around and saw Davy lying there. This was rather peculiar. Mai tried again to swim up, with the same results. The farther she got from the bottom, the more the curse weakened. Or maybe it wasn't the bottom…

Trying to master her fear, Mai swam over to Davy. She felt the gills widen. She leaned forward until her face was within inches from his shoulder. Her vision clarified, and she could see that he was covered in stains of dark blood. At least one thing was now clear. The farther she got from Davy, the weaker the curse became. Though if she stayed down here, he'd die any minute and the curse would break anyways…That was with the blood? How had this happened? And what on earth was she to do?! She would die either way. Unless-

She had to take Davy to the surface with her somehow. Then she could escape alive. And….though she hated the thought of it, she'd probably have to kill him. It would be easy in his weakened state. Maybe he'd die anyways. Or he could die on the way up, killing them both. But she wouldn't be able to lift him very quickly, if at all, even in the water. There had to be another way.

The weak stream of water coming from his siphon seemed to be slowing. Mai felt her senses weakening once more. Then she looked down at herself, and gasped. Her body was a mess of deep, red raw burns. The curse must be the only thing keeping her alive. No wonder she felt so weak when it weakened. So she wouldn't have to kill Davy after all. For some reason she was both very disappointed and somewhat relieved. She never was a killer, but she'd find another way to get her freedom. Though she was finding the prospect of rescuing someone who had caused her such harm very unwelcoming.

For once, Mai would have welcomed the presence of a shark, but both the ones Davy had been using were nowhere to be seen. Because that seemed to be the only way to get Davy to the surface, with the help of some marine creature. Where was the Kraken when you needed it? How was she supposed to get out of here? Mai thought fast. The way that Davy controlled these creatures was by a mental link (as she had found out much too well), so perhaps she could do the same?

She concentrated, trying to reach out with her mind, careful to point it away from Davy. Nothing. She tried again…still nothing. Frustrated and desperate now, she sensed the curse weakening once more. She only had a few moments left. She realized that reaching Davy himself could be the only chance of making it out alive. Her fear paralysed her, but she told herself that she feared death more than she feared him. Was it true? Probably not, but it worked for the time being. She tried to touch his mind. Nothing. His breathing was slowing. Mai grabbed his shoulders in desperation and leaned in, until her forehead was nearly touching his, thrusting her mind towards him. In her mental torture, she had actually learned something of this skill.

She felt as if she were diving into a dark but clear pool of seawater. Bubbles were rising all around her in this water, though they came only from her own breath. Then she noticed a slight stream of blackened air. It was coming from the bottom of the pool, which was deep, and only dark at the very bottom. Mai pushed through, sensing that she was sinking deeper and deeper into his consciousness, yet she could not find Davy himself. It was getting harder, and her mental surroundings were getting darker. She stopped, then screamed with her thoughts.

_Davy Jones! _ No reply. _Davy Jones! _Perhaps she'd end up dying after all. _You're dying! You can't die! You're dragging me down with you! _ Mai felt desperation overwhelm her. _Come on! Wake up! Don't die! Don't give up! _He stopped breathing, and Mai felt him fading. _No! Breathe, you idiot, breathe! _ His pet! It could get them to the surface in time. Once there, even if he died, Mai felt that she would at least have a chance, since her wounds were starting to heal slightly already. She gave one last push, then yelled with all her heart. _DAVY JONES! SUMMON THE KRAKEN!_

Darkness flooded Davy's mind, and Mai had to back out. After this she felt a rushing of water. She nearly blacked out from weakness, but manage to cling onto consciousness as something large grabbed her and Davy. It pulled them, through the cold cave waters, until Mai could detect a slight sunlight from up ahead. She hadn't seen sunlight in what seemed to be such a long time. Then she felt something touch her mind. Thinking it was Davy, she recoiled in fear. But the presence was reassuring her. It was…the Kraken. Mai relaxed after realizing this. And she let the Kraken connect to her. The complexity of its mind surprised her. She had been expecting a dumb, mindless animal. And it wasn't as hostile as she was expecting, either. She was treating Mai as part of its family. Because that was what the Dutchman's captain and crew were to it. Mai sensed this all from the Kraken as they touched minds, and she could even sense that it had a sort of loyalty and affection for the captain, too. She could tell that the Kraken knew Davy was in danger, but needed Mai's signal to tell where they were.

They burst out of the cave and into blue, sunlit water. Mai told the Kraken that it could let go of her now and take Davy to the Dutchman, but it ignored her. It circled the island, and Mai was given a full view of the large cephalopod. It was certainly a massive beast.

Then, the tentacle holding Davy and Mai rose out of the water, and onto a beach. This side of the island wasn't as filled with cliffs as the other. It came to a halt on the wet sand. Mai noticed that the large suction cups were holding her carefully but firmly. She turned and looked at Davy. He was limp and motionless in the Kraken's grip. His normally writhing tentacles were sill, and his eyes were shut. The tentacle was preventing him from touching the ground, which Mai knew he could not do.

"So the Kraken saves the day…" Muttered Mai, "But has it really saved either of us?"


	11. Edge of the Void

This was not a cold of temperature. This was a cold of emptiness, being devoid of life. This cold did not chill the bones, but rather, froze the soul down to the core. It was the ice of the abyss. It paralysed, crystallized the very essence of life. And it was this cold that Davy now felt, creeping into his being.

He couldn't think, not enough of him was left for that. He just knew that he was existing, a cursed existence which was coming to an end. And yet…did he fear death? That question, the fated inquiry that he had posed to so many, and resulted in the changing of so many fates. The death or enslavement of countless souls. Now, he himself, the bringer of death, was faced with this prospect, the ultimate choice. Did he even have a choice? And if he did, should he choose to give himself up to the abyss? To release the suffering, the life that he held. Davy could feel himself slipping away. The darkness and shadows, which even he could not peer through, they were consuming his spirit. Pulling him away.

_Calypso…_why, oh why did she have to come to mind at a time like this? …His heart, it still existed, wherever it may be…so sometimes, he couldn't help but feel once more. Even at what may be the last few moments of his life.

Zambia…what had she done…? Davy couldn't remember. But he knew she had done something awful to him. It was her fault he was in this pathetic state. He would have felt angry if he weren't drowning in this black mess. He just knew that needed to get his revenge…

She had defied him. She had tried to kill him. Davy struggled against the emptiness enveloping him. No one…should ever stand in his way…he was Davy Jones…ruler of the sea…he could not be defeated…he would not stand to be defeated…but it was over now…

Davy clung onto the last bit of light. Somewhere, he felt something gnawing at him. Heard someone call his name…he could not respond…the voice was faint, he could barely hear it…then it whispered something to do with the Kraken…summon it…he had to summon it…Davy tried to reach for his pet, but found that he couldn't. He was too absorbed by the void. He couldn't even say goodbye to his only companion. His Kraken had been by his side for many years now…it was very in tune to his mind…it probably already knew he was dying.

He felt like he was on the edge of a cliff, and something was banging away at his hold on it. Surprisingly enough, he found that he didn't want to die. His survival instinct was too strong. It screamed at him to struggle, to fight the darkness…he was too weak to try, to do anything but hang on with the limited amount of strength he had left.

Time seemed to stand still. The shadows sucked him in. And so his grip on life was broken.

At the last instant, a thread of life-filled energy reached out to him. He grabbed it, recognizing it. His Kraken was not abandoning him. It was calling to him, drawing upon the vast energy reserve that it had. All he had to do was tap into it. Yet something was blocking him. A black film had formed between him and his pet. Death was hungry to claim another victim. But at a flash, the film was broken. And he just managed to glimpse Calypso's familiar aura before it hoisted him up and out of the darkness, thrusting him towards his Kraken. Then it was gone.

Even though he knew she could not hear him…_No matter how much to try to make it up to me…you never will-uh. _

The Kraken welcomed him with joy, replenishing his depleted strength with glee. He found himself grateful, and told it so. At this, the Kraken let forth a wave of happiness. And Davy had to chuckle inwardly.

Mai lay on the Kraken's tentacle, listening to the waves crashing on the beach. She had felt the curse weaken and waver, knowing that there was nothing she could do except hope that she would survive. She refrained from glancing over at Davy. She wished that the Kraken would let her go, but decided that as soon as the curse broke it would either release her or eat her. Mai had found that, since her fate would be decided for her, there was no need to be worried about it. She could just enjoy this time of leisure, of relaxing on the sand. She used to enjoy going to beaches with her family, way before the fateful cruise that brought her to the Dutchman. The memories filled her head, and she played them out, feeling surprisingly calm.

_That's funny…I'm probably going to die in the next five minutes but I'm not worried about it…I mean, there's nothing I can do to change things, so I might as well enjoy myself while I can._ She thought. _I guess I've learned something from that woman who didn't fear death._

The Kraken had gone rather quiet recently; it had withdrawn from contact with her. Mai guessed that it was probably sad that Davy was going to die. At least, despite whatever death brought, she would never have to endure the terror and the agony that he inflicted. Mai then continued to remember the pleasant times she had experienced with her family and friends.

She ignored the blackness creeping in at the edges of her vision, ignored the darkness that hungered for her spirit, and just concentrated on her memories, and the waves. They kept on going. All throughout time. They carved the landscape, even the rock, and lay out the sand in intricate patterns. The blackness was consuming her. She whispered goodbye to what was left of her family, then thought that at least she would see her mother again soon. She felt that she was about to pass out. She settled herself more comfortably on the Kraken, and then reached out towards the land. It would be nice to touch it, just once, before she died…with that thought, she lost consciousness.

Mai woke with a start. _Great, it's the second time I've woken up and have no idea whether I'm dead or free or whatnot, _she thought. Was this the afterlife? She opened her eyes. Same Kraken. Same beach. Same waves. She was alive. She moved her hand. It moved. _Ok, got that figured out. I'm alive. I'm in my own control. Now…am I still cursed?_ Mai looked over at Davy. He wasn't moving. She carefully tried to extract herself from the Kraken's tentacles. They remained still. She still felt weak, but not as much as before. Her heels touched the sand. She took a step. Then another. Then broke into a flat-out run. The grains were warm, and silky soft to the worn bottoms of her feet. But dizziness overcame her and she toppled into the sand. It cushioned her landing. How nice it was to be back on land. She sat up, her head still spinning. Her gaze landed on Davy.

He opened his eyes and stared back, looking disoriented. His crystal blue orbs shone clearly in the sun. His tentacles were alive with motion once more, hesitantly writhing back and forth. His gaze moved, first to the Kraken, then to the sand, then back to Mai. The Kraken, meanwhile, was emitting waves of euphoria that both of them could plainly feel. A large sigh rocked his shoulders up and down, and he blinked, looking up at the sky. Mai was too shocked to move, though something told her that she better run and run now. She took a step back. The Kraken's tentacle shot out, and before she had moved more than a few feet it caught her, wrapping around her waist and dragging her back to the sea. Davy, meanwhile, also seemed too shocked to move. He could hardly believe that he was alive.

Davy tried to gather his thoughts. He was back, and now he had to get to the Dutchman so he could start to assemble his counterattack against Zambia. _Back to the Dutchman-uh. _He ordered the Kraken. It gave an emotional equivalent of 'Aye-aye, captain! I'd be glad to!' and pulled the tentacles back into the water. Mai also heard Davy's order echo in her mind. She blinked. It had obviously not been addressed to her. So why had she heard it? She also could easily tell the Kraken's response, though it had been just a flash of emotion, rather than words. Davy had summoned the Kraken before in her presence, and she had always heard nothing but silence when they communicated.

Davy noticed something was different. And it had to do with the girl. She had heard both his order and the response. Now that he thought about it, it was she that had entered his mind and called him, then told him to call the Kraken. It was almost as if her mind had suddenly gotten a lot more sensitive. Perhaps the mental torture had backfired, and opened up her own ability with this. Which was a discomforting notion. It meant that he would have to shield his mind with effort, and each mental order could possibly be intercepted if he wasn't careful. He concentrated, putting up thick walls around his thoughts. He would be sure to break that ability properly when he had time. For he knew that it could be done. When he tortured her before, he had a different goal. But the next time would be specific: to rid her mind of this unusual sensitivity. It would be more difficult than just inflicting mental agony, but it was more than possible. This sensitivity probably meant that it would be easier than usual to enter and break her, he'd just have to dig in deeper. But then again…perhaps he could use this against Zambia somehow? Yes, it could come in handy…he'd wait a little before breaking it.

Mai felt Davy putting up impenetrable defences around his mind. Not that she was trying to listen in anyway. It was just happening.

They were nearing the Dutchman. As the Kraken lifted them up and placed them carefully on deck, the crew burst out into exclamations.

"Captain! What happened?"

"We sensed the curse weakening! What was going on?"

At first Davy was silent, then, seeing that the flow of remarks was not stopping, he barked "Silence-uh!" and the crew quickly fell silent. "Ah ran into some complications, which were overcome-uh. We have a new course to make, that should be what concerns ye!" He stalked over to his cabin. "I'll set it then inform you. Prepare to make full speed." He turned to Mai. "You, to mah cabin."

Mai followed him, wondering what he was going to do. Yet she did not feel the usual sense of horror for some reason. He opened the door and thrust her in, then snapped it shut. He turned to some bookcases, getting out some charts. He put those on his desk, along with a compass and navigational instruments.

Mai, meanwhile, was thinking about the urgency with which he did this. _It must have something to do with that woman…Zambia. _Mai thought. Then immediately wished that she hadn't. For Davy had looked up, a nasty glint in his eye.

_Ah forbid ye from mentioning that name-uh! _Growled Davy. His voice was so clear that it took Mai a moment to realize that his lips weren't moving. Davy realized how easily she heard him, and for a split second Mai felt him grow worried. Before Davy realized that she had detected this too and slammed the walls around his mind tighter. Then, as Mai stood there, he lashed out with his mind and struck her. As he had predicted, she was even easier to hit and put up no resistance.

Mai cried out at this, so loudly that the crew outside heard it, grinning. She sensed that it now took him less effort to achieve this degree of pain. She groaned and fell to her knees. This time, Davy let her detect his sadistic pleasure and satisfaction at causing her suffering.

He reconsidered his decision to not break her ability. He couldn't let her poke around the minds of his crew, or worse yet…the imprisoned souls of the Dutchman, though it was unlikely she'd be able to do so. So this was necessary. If needed, she could still be a surprise for Zambia then.

Not moving from where he stood, he gave another mental blow. Mai noticed that he was targeting a specific area, though she couldn't tell any more than that. Again and again he struck. It was like chipping away at ice. Mai could see that each strike was so deliberate despite being so powerful. She cried time after time, her knuckles white as she clenched her fists. It didn't take much. Soon her senses were overwhelmed with pain, she couldn't feel anything else. And yet Davy kept on going. His ears were deaf to her screams. His heart was indifferent to her agony. Her eyes rolled around madly as he carved away at her soul. Soon, she collapsed in front of him, and Davy was left standing alone in his cabin, panting but satisfied. He drove further, in her unconsciousness, then gave one final blow. Her body underwent a spasm, and lay still. He grabbed her with his claw, dragging her out onto the deck, then threw her into the hold and walked back into his cabin.

Davy sat down, carefully pinpointing the Dutchman's exact location on the charts, and plotting out the best course to take. He had to move fast if he wanted any chances of stopping and killing Zambia.


	12. Sailing and Plan to the Wind

They were sailing at full speed, the ragged sails stretched to their limit. A strange silence pressed hard on the Flying Dutchman for those next few days. There was a sense of urgency about the captain, which soon passed on to the rest of the crew, something that had not occurred for quite a few years in which Davy Jones had sailed unchallenged. He had grown used to being the terror of the seas, with only the occasional navy warship or pirate vessel to oppose him. Now, however, this notion had been torn apart with the imminent threat of Zambia. A supernatural power to match his own.

Davy spent most of the time in his cabin, pouring over charts and notes, plotting out his course of action. He was going over every book and note in his vast archive, anything that could come in useful for his plan. Over the centuries he had gathered a large amount of material on various topics, some which could come in useful.

For the first day after the return to the ship, Mai had lain unconscious in the hold after her mental beating. It went the same with the second. Finally, on the third day Davy went down to rouse her from wherever he had sent her mind.

He walked out of the wall next to her, letting his crab leg _thud_ loudly, but got no response. Which meant that she really was deeply knocked out, for he knew how terrified she usually was at this sound. He would have preferred to leave her there to rot, but he needed as many hands on deck as possible because speed was of the essence. So he took out his broadsword, with the sheath still on, and prodded her. Davy would also have rather let a crewman take care of this, but he needed to know whether his torture had reached its goal of breaking her mind's sensitivity. Davy bent down, grabbed her neck with his crab claw and shook vigorously.

Still nothing. Then again, he had really pushed her far that time so it shouldn't be a surprise that she was this far gone.So now it came to this. Davy concentrated, reaching her mind and then giving it a poke. He could beat her down easily but when it came to bringing her back up he wasn't so skillful.

Mai became aware of something prodding and rousing her. She slowly regained her senses, then felt something clamping her around the throat, shaking her hard. As she moved her head, the shaking stopped. Then she opened her eyes. And immediately wished she hadn't. For she was looking right at Davy Jones. His claw was around her neck, and his tentacles were writhing much too close. Feeling a jolt of electric terror upon seeing him, her whole body tensed as she readied herself for the dangerous blow she was expecting. But Davy didn't hit her. He was looking at her curiously, head tilted to the side. The devil horns that were his hat were inclined to one side as well.

After yelling some particularly nasty things to her in his head, Davy was satisfied that she didn't hear him, at least not as easily as she could before. He could still give an order mentally, but she wouldn't be able to do the same to him. This was certainly interesting…he appeared to have broken her mind's ability, which was unexpected in the first place. But why did she get it in the first place? And how far could it be taken? Now that it had been safely disposed of, Davy was curious to see what he could do with it. Mai, meanwhile, wondered why he was staring at her with such intrigue and not doing her any harm. Then he released her from his grip and stood up.

Davy decided to do some experiments. He talked to her, projecting his thoughts to her mind easily. _Mai. Can ye hear me? _She quickly noticed that it was mental speech, but as Davy withdrew from her, she found that she couldn't follow or reach out. He noticed this too.

_Captain…what are you doing? And what have you done to me? _Mai thought. But he had to connect to her in order to hear her thoughts, she couldn't throw them outward herself like before. So Davy was satisfied that this small inconvenience had been neutralized.

_Ye must not speak of this to anyone. _Davy told her._ What occurred in the cave and shortly after is to remain unspoken of-uh. If ye are to break yer silence, you'll know my wrath like never before! Understood-uh? _As she opened her mouth to reply, he cut across her. _And anytime I am mentioning it, ye shall answer in yer head so no one else can hear. _

_Aye, Captain. _Thought Mai, and she felt Davy withdraw from her mind at this. He turned and melted away into the wall. Her shoulders sagged with relief as the confrontation was over. Though it could have been far worse. Footsteps echoed down the stairs. Jimmylegs and Koleniko made their way down.

"You're to return to work immediately." Jimmylegs told her gruffly. He and Koleniko looked around cautiously, then whispered, "So what exactly was going on, when you went to the island with the cap'n?"

"Um…" Mai thought fast. She needed to come up with something reasonable. "I wasn't sure, he just left me in the shark's jaws and then I passed out as we were approaching the island. When I woke up we were already going back to the ship."

"Aw, that's too bad." Said Koleniko. "We were really hoping you'd be able to tell us what was going on. None of the crew really knows the details. We just know that it was significant since he's been rather worried lately."

Jimmylegs just nodded and gave her a look suggesting he didn't believe her, but they both left without further incident. Mai sighed, wondering how much more interrogating she'd have to take. Perhaps Davy would tell them to leave her alone, in case she revealed something. But no, he wouldn't do that, he'd just enjoy having the crew test her, and know that she wouldn't tell due to her fear of him. Mai went up to the deck, trying to prepare herself for a gruelling day of sailing.

In his cabin, Davy sat motionless before his organ. A few times he had raised his tentacles to the keys, but each time lowered them again. His brow was furrowed, and he was uneasy. He sighed into the thick, heavy silence; he hadn't been able to play ever since the return. And all his planning was leading him in circles, it seemed. He couldn't come up with some foolproof method of stopping and killing Zambia. For he was the only one who really knew the danger she now posed. Not only to himself, but also to everyone who sailed on the sea's domain. His domain.

Davy leaned back, taking in the various lights from the sun that played across the timber walls. The large window filtered the light, casting it in various angles, which then sunk into the wooden fibres. The sunlight made distinct the flowing highlights of blue within his eyes, giving them a translucent, crystalline depth. They had seen so much. Blood, death, darkness and destruction…as well as, in a time long past, passion and love...

He blinked, gazing out the window. The sea rippled beneath the sun's rays, ruffled by the wind. He lifted a tentacle, turning it, observing how the texture was lit up and changed by the sun. Running it carefully along the keys he had vented upon so many times, Davy tried to clear his mind and organize his thoughts. There was no time to be wasted. He needed to strategize. And perhaps even take the route where there would be costs to be paid in order to succeed.

Mai adjusted a sail. They were driving the Dutchman to its limit. She carefully scurried along the edge of the mast, trying not to fall off. Her burns had almost completely healed, and her skin was coming up unmarked as they faded. As well as slightly scaly. The gills in her neck didn't recede; they just closed when she was above the water. She noticed that slight stretches of translucent skin were forming between her fingers; her nails were growing elongated and sharp. Hard knobs had formed above her backbone vertebrae, and though her teeth weren't pointy, their edges began to get serrated. A little crab had taken up a habit of clinging to her hair.

_I'm becoming part of the crew now. _Mai thought, looking at her claws. _And a part of the ship._ It was a good thing that they still weren't sharp enough to cut the rope, because it was hard enough trying to tie complex knots with normal fingers. At an order from Maccus, she swung down from the rigging and started to fasten a rope with one of said complex knots. She wondered what Davy was going to do about Zambia. And what on earth was that glowing sphere which all the fuss was about? She couldn't risk asking the crew, since Davy would give her another painful torture if she told them. He might even kill her this time. So it was best to heed his threatening warning.

"Ship ho!" Came a cry from the crow's nest. Everyone looked up to see a black dot on the horizon. But it wasn't flying any colours, and no one recognized it. Davy thudded onto deck and peered through a telescope at the ship. All held their breath as they awaited his verdict.

"So it's begun." Davy muttered. Zambia probably thought him dead, so she wasn't wasting any of her own time on the Dutchman, which was why she probably raised this ship to track it down.

Not mentioning this to any of his crew, Davy looked up at the sails. They were stretched to the max and the Dutchman was rushing along at the best speed it could muster. Which was pretty fast. However, he could tell that the strange ship was gaining on them. For once, he would prefer to run from this fight. Who knew what powers Zambia had bestowed upon this ship. And the wind wasn't shifting.


	13. Of Bones and Fish

"Is she going up to her limit, cap'n?" Jimmylegs asked. The crew all turned and looked at him in surprise. Such concerned inquiries were not usual for him. And yet they all felt it- a sense of doom emitted by that ship.

Davy looked at him, his usual sharp reply cut back by his worry. "Aye, she'll not go any faster. The sails be on the verge of breaking as they are-uh." He thought fast. There wasn't anything else to do about the speed, if the wind didn't shift that is; so it was best to start preparing for battle with any spare hands. Including himself.

"Keep the hands on deck at minimum without compromisin' the sails-uh!" Davy ordered. He pointed to Hadras, Clanker, Mai and Jimmylegs, as well as a few others. "You all, prepare the guns!" The bosun opened his mouth in protest, he was used to giving whipping rather than working, but Davy cut him across with a glare, and he followed Mai to the cannons.

"But that leaves two open spots, captain-?" Koleniko said, but Davy interrupted him.

"Get back to work, I'll deal with it!" Davy growled. Several crewmen glanced at each other before continuing with their duties. Mai, too, looked up from her cannon, to see him teleport away. He appeared on the edge of a mast, grabbing a loose sail and tying it into place. Instantly he was at the other end, adjusting that side. He used his tentacles and right hand to work the rope, the crab claw was mostly useless in that department. Davy turned and noticed most of the crew watching him. They'd never seen him do sailor's work before.

"What are ye staring at?! Back ta work-uh!" Yelled Davy. Everyone hastily did as he said. Davy appeared on several more masts, redoing the knots that had taken hours in a few minutes. Swinging back onto deck, he pulled a rope connected to the rigging…  
He might be able to gain a little more speed after all.

Mai concentrated on readying as many cannons as she could, all the while thinking of the graveness of the situation. For it must be bad indeed if Davy Jones was helping his crew! And it seemed like all the rest of the crew thought the same thing, for they worked quickly and without a word.

Davy settled into the rhythm of sailing easily- though it had been a while since he'd done anything but captain, it still came to him like second nature. He had a feel for the ship and it's balance. Especially the Dutchman, which had been with him for so long. So now he knew that he couldn't stretch the sails any more without breaking them, though a slight increase in speed did result from his activities.

He had several more sailors man the cannons, then walked into his cabin. Returning, he dropped a few spiky objects down the barrels of the triple guns, tapping them with his claw. Davy looked up, out to sea. The Dutchman was hurtling along, and the wind whipped past his face. The waves, ever changing, framed the soon to be battleground. Determination flared in his ice cold eyes. He wouldn't let someone like Zambia take him down!

The strange ship was closer than ever. As Davy peered at it again through the spyglass, he could make out some rather interesting details. The hull was old, weathered wood, and covered in barnacles and coral…some of the masts were cracked, and there was no one on deck. The cannons were out, however, and it was gunning forward at a formidable pace. But there was a strange gleam to the wood that Davy didn't like. It was unnatural. Focusing his vision, he saw the tattered sails, and scanned it further. No sign of life.

"Captain!" A cry was heard. It shook Davy out of his thoughts as he lowered the glass and turned around. Koleniko was standing atop a mast, trying desperately to control a broken sail. Cursing, Davy teleported up there and grabbed it with his claw, pulling the thick seaweed together. There was no time to replace it. A makeshift stitching would have to do. And it would also be an opportunity to test the girl.

Mai was looking at the strange ship with a mixture of fear and surprise when a crewman grabbed her arm. "Captain wants you at the mast." Next thing she knew, the world dissolved around her, and she was plunged into a swirling cloud of nothingness. In an instant the sensation passed, and she was standing rather wobbly on the mast next to Davy, who was holding the sail along with Koleniko.

"You! Stitch the sail-uh! Now!" Barked Davy roughly, as his tentacle held a large needle with a thin rope out to her. Gingerly she took it, and, gripping the mast with her legs, grabbed the edge of the flailing material. She shut out the wind, Davy's orders, the crew's yells, and concentrated on her task. Davy moved his claw slightly so she could have access to the sail. She weaved the thread in and out of the seaweed-like material, fumbling as the wind flapped it about. But Davy held it firmly, and soon the sail was slowly getting mended. Mai missed with the needle, jabbing herself in the hand and grunting with pain. But with no time to stop the bleeding, she continued to work as the wind seized the blood from her hand and whipped it away.

At long last, it was finished. But as Davy tested the sail, it broke beneath his grip. Turning on her furiously, he snarled, "Not good enough-uh! Do it again!" A large wave rocked the Dutchman, and the bump sent Mai tumbling off the mast. Davy swiped out with his claw, catching her wrist and raising her to eye level. His eyes burned into hers for a few seconds, then he roughly threw her back onto the mast. "Finish it!" He yelled through the wind. Mai forced herself back up and resumed the stitching.

Davy ordered Greenbeard up to replace him at the sail while Mai worked. He swung down on a rope, turning to look again at the strange ship. Something caught his eye. Not quite sure of what he saw, Davy whipped out his spyglass. Then swore.

The other ship was manned by skeletons. Bones, encrusted with sea life, barely a shred of flesh on them. As Davy looked, one of the skeletons turned and seemed to gaze back at him, the depths of its empty eye sockets calling with death. Remnants of long dead coral encrusted the skull. There were no ligaments holding the thing together, either. Where bone met bone, a slight brown film joined them. As Davy continued to stare, the bones became translucent, before fully disappearing from sight. He blinked, and the ship appeared empty once more.

"The enemy is a bunch of skeletal remains!" Called Davy to his crew. "There is no way of telling how they can be killed, so be creative in yer methods-uh." The crew fell silent at this, several of them raising spyglasses to the ship.

"There is an imbalance in the sea!" A voice called. It was coming from below deck. Shaky footsteps were heard, and a figure emerged from the hold. All eyes turned upon it, and even Davy was quiet.

"So you've awakened…" Davy said. "Wyvern."

The old crewman looked back at the captain, barely recognizable as human. "Aye. Something called to me while I was in the coma. You all must act quickly because-" He made a gasping sound, as Davy focused his gaze upon him, silencing him with his mind.

_Wyvern, the crew are not to know. Besides, your time has come and gone. _Davy told him. This was the first time that a soul so far in the Dutchman's grip had woken from their eternal comas. To his surprise, Wyvern answered back.

_You fool! You've no idea- _he gagged again as Davy squeezed his own grip on Wyvern. To those standing around and not hearing the exchange, it was an odd sight.

_Actually, I do have the idea. Hence the urgency of mah attempt at conquest-uh! _Said Davy angrily. Suddenly, he felt the other, hidden presences of the Dutchman stirring. The souls that had been previously absorbed were now beginning to wake! _What is this-uh? _Demanded Davy.

_Since the imminent threat is to the Dutchman herself and your control of the seas, the curse that is the ship is giving you more soldiers to work with. For those bones raised from the depths were supposed to only be raised by you! No one else should have that power! They have the potential to destroy your crew and reduce their souls to dust despite their contract to you! _ Wyvern answered. _Whoever raised them had the intention of obliterating the Dutchman completely. _Davy stood in shock for a few minutes.

Mai's suspicions were confirmed when she saw Davy look so dumbfounded. _So they're having a mental conversation after all…I wonder what it's about? _She tried reaching out with her mind, but carefully away from Davy, just towards the Dutchman in general. Her only result was a headache.

Davy tried to pull himself together. The more sailors he had, the better his chances of winning this battle. But how on earth was he going to explain this to the current crew? And more importantly, how was he going to destroy these walking skeletons?

_Any idea on how to destroy the enemy skeletons? _Davy called, not just to Wyvern but to the Dutchman as well, and all the souls it held. At first he received no answer. Then, with a splintering of wood, figures began to emerge from the ship's walls. Davy could feel a frenzy of activity going on, as the Dutchman propelled what was left of the souls outwards, so attune was he to his vessel. They still resembled grossly overgrown sea creatures, but they also had a rotten wood-like quality of fibres, with rails and pieces of deck protruding out of their bodies. Most of them were mere shells of their former selves, the Dutchman had consumed most of them. Some had no consciousness anymore, no sense of self. They just existed. Existed to serve and to fight.

Davy felt a pull on his mind as all these souls, his previous crew, lined up and awaited his orders. Then, Wyvern finally answered his question. _See those who you have doomed, here before you! Those who served their 100 years and were absorbed by the ship! I am the only one who can speak, because it was not that long ago that I finished serving my century and the process started. They are just bare skeletons of their souls. _He gestured to the other ship. _Those skeletons there, they don't have their souls. Their bodies are undead. They must be destroyed from the core. That is all I know._

"According to the Dutchman, the skeletons must be destroyed from the core-uh." Davy informed his crew. "She has also provided us with extra crew for the fight. Try all ways of defeating these skeletons!"

It finally occurred to Mai that Zambia must be the one who sent this ship after them. But why wasn't she coming herself? _Maybe she thinks Davy didn't escape her that time…_ She thought. Yes, that would make sense. So now she wanted to finish off the Dutchman, because, as Mai could recall, Zambia wanted to overthrow Davy and take control of the seas. The Dutchman must be the only thing standing in her way.

The crew were bursting with questions, but Davy silenced them all and refused to answer. His eyes met Mai's for an instant, before they both looked away, at the approaching ship.

_Um, captain? _Mai thought. She waited for Davy to detect her thought, and felt him brush her mind.

_What-uh? _Answered Davy impatiently. He had no time for this right now. _It better be important!_

_I'm just thinking…aren't you supposed to be able to control these skeletons since they are of the sea? And if not, maybe you should try?_ Mai said hesitantly, hoping that this wouldn't lead to more trouble.

_Nay. _Davy answered briefly. He'd discipline her later…To him, the sea was like an open pathway of spilled light. He could grasp any creature in it, his mind could move freely within its depths. But these skeletons, to him they were like a deep, dark hole that he could not enter…his ruling of the seas was being challenged definitely.

The crew was ready. The guns were ready. At least Davy hoped they were. Was he ready? Only time would tell. The other ship was about to draw alongside them. They had run far enough.

"Hard to port!" Davy ordered. His speech thundered throughout the ship despite the wind. Then, a fiery glint in his eye, he cried out, "FIRE!"


	14. Siege at sea

The Dutchman's powerful guns fired again. But the other ship was retaliating. It belted the cursed galleon with round upon round of ammunition. Davy winced as a particularly well-aimed shot almost shattered his vessel's bow.

Mai was crouching behind a fuming cannon, feeling nervous. There would be flashes of something on the other ship's deck, something in the shapes of figures, but then they would disappear. It must be those skeletons that Davy was talking about.

_You must be the first female on the Dutchman in several centuries. _Mai almost jumped as a voice sounded in her head. But it was not Davy's harsh bark. It was softer, more raspy. _Don't be so frightened, lass. My name is Wyvern, I am the sailor who spoke for the past prisoners of the Dutchman just now. _

She turned her head, and saw the crewman who was first to emerge from the wall, staring out to sea. He looked at her, then glanced away. _Don't look this way, unless you want the captain on your case again! _

_How can you…talk to me?_ Mai wondered.

_We are speaking through the Dutchman, because that is where our souls are both bound. _Wyvern answered. _Me in particular, since I was nearly absorbed quite recently._

_Absorbed? _asked Mai.

_Yes, that's what happens after servitude is over. But that is beside the point. Know this: you must not get near to those skeletons! The Dutchman cannot afford to lose your soul._

_Lose my soul? I thought it already belonged to Davy Jones?_ Mai asked.

_Yes, and it still does. However… every single soul on this ship is at risk right now._ Wyvern informed her. _But your soul, because of its purity, is more valuable than you or the captain may think._

_Really?_ She briefly thought of using that to secure her freedom.

_Escape comes later or never. Right now, just focus on just maintaining your existence._ replied Wyvern.

_But if the skeletons kill Davy, will I be free, or will I die too?_ she asked.

_Oh, they cannot destroy him, I don't think…but I shudder to contemplate what they can do short of it._ Wyvern glanced up, and moved farther from her.

She took a breath, looking at the other ship. It was surprising that Davy hadn't noticed their exchange. Then again, he probably had enough on his mind at the moment.

Davy was at the wheel, spinning it quickly. He yelled out another command, water flying from his mouth, gripping the wooden spokes in frustration. That ship ought to be sunken by now. Why wasn't it going down?

He needed to try a different strategy. Making a sharp turn with the steering, he yelled out, "Fire the triple guns!" For they were in range of the deadly weapons mounted on the Dutchman's front. With explosions and puffs of smoke, the guns went off. The enemy ship was so close now, that one didn't need a spyglass to see the hits land. Davy, however, took his out, making sure that the spiky objects he had deposited in the guns earlier were now scattered on the other deck. The vessel slowed down, tilting to one side from the force of the shots. But it kept on firing.

Davy looked closer. There was a hole in the other hull, facing him. But the water was not filling it as it should. It hovered halfway, as though repelled by some invisible force. As he kept on gazing, he saw the skeletons reappear for an instant.

"Former first mate-uh." Davy called, in his usual forceful manner.

"Aye, captain." answered Wyvern without emotion.

"It appears that we be facing a boarding." he said. He hated facing such an unknown enemy, and having no real clue of what method of attack to use. Usually it was he that was the unknown side, with few knowing the real limits of his power.

"So it is, captain." Wyvern replied. "Your crew is at your disposal." He could tell that Davy was uncertain, but knew better than to comment on it.

Davy frowned as the skeletons melted back into his field of vision, then flickered and disappeared. He knew that he had to make a decision. Now. "Get ready to board!" he yelled. Pointing to several of his former crew, "Ye'll be the leadin' party!" But he decided to add a few of his current members into the mix as well, nodding at Crash and Quittance. "Join them."

As the other ship drew near enough to be within teleportation range, the boarders assembled. The two current crewmen were ready for their typical "appear out of nowhere and scare them half to death, then slit their throat" approach. Though they were a bit unsettled by the atmosphere of the ship, they were still grimly excited for bloodshed.

Most of the former crew, however, wandered about without so much as a glimmer of life. They existed physically, but their souls had been completely consumed by the Dutchman. An unabsorbed crewman already has a growing restriction on thoughts, emotions and even consciousness. So you can imagine the state of those who had just been regurgitated.

Setting his gaze expectantly upon the other deck, the captain waited for his crew to appear and the fighting to begin. But nothing was happening.

"Why are you not boardin-uh?" demanded Davy angrily, turning back to his men.

"We…can't." Crash mumbled. "It's strange, but that ship's not letting us teleport onto it."

"Well use the ropes, then!" Davy replied. "Step to!" The other ship was coming even closer. And he did not want them to board first.

The boarding crew grabbed heavy, barnacle-encrusted ropes. These were used rather infrequently due to the convenience of teleporting. The rope's woven pattern was marred with crystallized bits of sea salt, and almost welded together with layer upon layer of barnacles and seaweed. As the cord was unwound, it gave off a cracking sound produced by the breaking shells and fibers not used to being stretched.

Finally, the hooked ropes were thrown onto the other ship. Davy held his breath as his crewmen swung over to the vessel, landing on the deck. Their weapons drawn, they cast wary glances about. No skeletons in sight. They continued forward, heading towards the spiky objects fired from the Dutchman's triple guns.

Wyvern, who was standing near Davy, looked away, straight down to the deck beneath his feet. He didn't want to see this. The captain, still gazing at the other ship, did not notice.

Mai paused, in the middle of loading another cannon. Her eyes never left the small group on the other deck. They looked so…helpless. Like lost travellers sinking farther and farther into dark unknown woods, never to return again. Bad premonitions were oozing all over the scene.

Just then, the skeletons reappeared. They had surrounded Quittance and one of the former crew, cutting them off from the rest of the group. The crewman had his sword out, and swung it at the nearest opponent. The blade chipped through the bones easily, severing the skeleton's limb at the shoulder. But the arm did not fall. The bone, though cut, was held together by that odd brown film, which barely wavered as the weapon passed through it. Startled by this result, Quittance started madly swinging his sword, hitting the skeletons over and over. But they didn't slow down at all. Closing in around him and the other crewman, a sudden darkness seemed to emanate from their bones, coming to a point of intensity on the skulls and the gaping eye sockets.

Ignoring these antics, the older, former crewman raised his hand, pointing it at the nearby mast. The wooden texture in his flesh suddenly became more pronounced. A series of splinters, growing and melding to form a sort of prickly cord, wound their way over the skeleton's heads. It fastened to a loose rope, pulling the line back into the crewman's hand. He swung on it, landing on a higher part of the deck. Looking back, he tossed the rope to Quittance. The latter grabbed onto it just as the skeletons seized him. The instant that that he was in the enemy's grip, the crewman froze, the line slipping through his limp hands. His eyes were wide open, and filled with sheer terror. The skeletal enemies had their bony fingers clamped around his shoulders, arms and throat.

Sea life on Quittance's body began to blacken, dying and falling off. The darkening spread to his flesh, his arteries breaking down and oozing black blood. But the liquid burst into smoke as it came into contact with the air. Then, the crewman almost appeared to glow slightly for an instant, before dissipating into a pile of grey ash. All this within less than a few seconds.

Everyone on the Flying Dutchman went through a collective shudder. They all felt it, that moment of destruction. Some stifled gasps, as they felt that they just lost something from themselves. For it was true: each was a part of the cursed ship, and so one member lost was a loss felt by all.

Mai felt a slight pang, and the nagging sensation that a piece of something just fell away. She was slightly out of breath. The ship, which had been taking over her soul… just experienced a casualty. It was an unpleasant sensation.

Davy, on the other hand, was affected more severely. He experienced a sharp jerk that shook him to his foundations. For a moment it was hard to draw his next breath, and he felt his ship itself groan as its wooden timbers, inlaid with hundreds of lives, became weaker for the first time. One soul had just been pried from his grasp and destroyed.


	15. Exploding Marrow

The Flying Dutchman violently rocked back and forth on growing waves. But the crew aboard her were too stunned to even notice. They were all still reeling from the destruction of one of their own.

Mai was the first to come to her senses. She took a breath, then another. And then noticed that everyone else was still rather disoriented. They were either shaking their heads in disbelief, or staring blankly at the enemy ship.

But they needed to act! And they needed to do it fast, before more souls were lost. Otherwise they may not get out of this at all… and Mai knew it. She glanced at the captain. If she could snap him out of it, he could get the rest of them moving. So, despite it going against every self-preservation instinct she had, Mai took a few steps towards Davy, scooping up a large mussel off the deck as she went. She hoped she didn't need to use it.

"Captain!" Mai called urgently. "We need to do something! Now!" She fingered the mussel nervously. "They will take more of your souls…" At this, Davy looked up. He seemed to pull himself together, because at the next moment he looked around at his crew with a fierce expression on his face.

"Pull yer heads outta the fog-uh!" he barked, "There's still a battle to be had!" He looked at Jimmylegs, Penrod, and two of the former crewmen. "Get over there-uh." They took more grappling hooks and swung over to the other vessel.

Meanwhile, skeletons surrounded the group already on the other ship. The crewmen attacked desperately with their swords, and one even tried his luck with a pistol. But it was all to no avail. The bones, though smashed and cut up, did not fall apart. As the skeletons reached for the crewmen with bony arms, the terror was plain on Crash's face. Deciding to change tactics, he instead rammed into a nearby mast with all his strength. The rotten wood splintered and the mast fell, knocking down the enemies and giving the group an opening to head farther up the deck.

Instead, the skeletons turned their attention to the four newly arrived crewmen. Three of them lunged at Jimmylegs, who bashed them with his weapon with more than enough force to send them flying. But they did not falter, and he was forced to retreat by grabbing a rope and climbing up into the rigging. The ropes strained and creaked under his weight, the rotten wood of the pulleys threatening to give.

One of the former crewmen also made a grab for the rigging and hoisted himself up. But the ropes broke beneath his grip and he plummeted down to the waiting skeletons. As they seized him, his wooden flesh blackened and melted, dispersing with a hiss. In a matter of seconds, he too was reduced to a pile of dust just like Quittance.

This time, the effect was staggering. The Dutchman itself lurched to the side as its hull suddenly struggled to support itself in the waves, scattering limp crewmen across the deck. A piece of its very foundation had been broken, and a creaking moan rose up from the depths of the wood. Most of the shell-shocked crew had been knocked off their feet by the sudden swerve of the deck but were too numb to right themselves. Everyone felt this one more severely, as this soul had been torn out of the Dutchman's core. It was a crewman who was absorbed long ago, his soul completely lost to the ship. So naturally, it was a larger part that was taken.

Davy did not get tossed across the deck, but he had dropped to his knees. He was feeling like someone had just kicked him in the gut, and ripped away a large part of it while they were at it. He struggled to breathe, as weakness flooded his limbs and dizziness clouded his vision…

Clutching at the railing, Mai struggled to pull herself together. She shook her head, trying to clear it. She noticed that the mussel was still in her hand. Looking across the deck, she groaned as she saw the state of the crew. How were they going to win like this? Her gaze then travelled to the other ship. The crewmen on it were in a similar daze, and the skeletons were taking full advantage of it. They were closing in around Jimmylegs, who hung loosely in the rigging. Skeletal hands clutched at the ropes, pulling him closer.

_We need to act, and we need to do it now!_ The thought leapt across her mind as she realized that they could not afford to take more of these blows. Her steps unsteady, she went to Wyvern and shook him energetically. "Wyvern! Get up!" But his eyes were blank, and he did not respond. Mai groaned inwardly, knowing what she'd have to do next. Why did it always come to this?

_Squelch._ Davy blinked as he felt something small hit his head. The brief physical pain helped snap him from his mental muddiness. He looked puzzled as he observed a large mussel falling to the deck after bouncing off him. The seashell rolled over several times on the rough surface before coming to rest beside some barnacles, startling a crab that was hiding among them. Lifting his gaze, he saw Mai standing there, arm outstretched, a mixture of worry and fear on her face.

Her arm muscles hurt slightly, as she had just used them to chuck a mussel at Davy Jones' head with all her strength. Not normally a very wise thing to do. More like a death sentence in any other situation. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

The captain rubbed his head absent-mindedly, gathering his thoughts. Then his eyes cleared, and he started to yell orders at his muddled crew. "Get up, ye lazy excuses for sailors! Man the cannons-uh! Clanker, see to that broken sail! Maccus, take Mai and Wyvern over to the ship. Tell the others that they must reach the spot that the triple guns hit and use the-"

"No!" To everyone's surprise Wyvern interrupted him. "You shouldn't risk her soul, the Dutchman can't afford to-"

"I know perfectly well what the Dutchman can and cannot afford ta do!" Davy thundered at him. "Know yer place, Wyvern!"

"I know it well, sir. The question is, do you know yours?" he answered quietly, looking at the floor. Davy stalked up to him, a furious look on his face. He hit the crewman with his claw, knocking the other man off his feet. But Wyvern gave no indication of pain. His face remained impassive as he silently stood up again, half his face a splintering mess from the blow. Davy opened his mouth angrily, but was interrupted by a shout from the other ship. It had come from Jimmylegs, who had fallen from the rigging. The weathered lines had finally snapped under the combined pressure of his weight and the skeletons pulling. Their bony, encrusted fingers reached for him hungrily.

"Go!" ordered the captain. Maccus, Mai and Wyvern walked to the edge of the deck and each grabbed a line. Mai fiddled with the heavy rope nervously, her claws running over the stiff material. Wyvern's earlier warning to her now rang through her head. It had to be significant if he was willing to cross Davy for it. Perhaps he knew something Davy did not? After all, despite the captain being bound to the Dutchman, his soul remained his own in a way that Wyvern's was not.

As they swung over to the other ship, Mai felt as though she was moving in slow motion. The waves broke against the hulls of the two ships, sending sprays into the air. Droplets of water resembling glass beads settled on the uneven wooden texture. She watched her shadow darken the water as the gap between her and the skeleton's vessel closed. Her feet landed on the other deck with a hollow thump, and she pulled out her sword. For once, she feared something other than Davy Jones.

As a skeleton grabbed Jimmylegs, one of the old crewmembers leaped forward suddenly, a spiky object in his grip. He hurled it into the bony spine, barnacles falling from his arm from the force of the throw. The skeleton gave off an unearthly glow for a split second, before the translucent film joining its bones thinned and disappeared. The bones themselves seemed to collapse inwardly, then explode. The deck was showered with bony fragments, which dissolved shortly after falling onto the wood.

Davy held back a sigh of relief, watching in satisfaction as his plan started to work. The spiky objects he had had shot out onto the ship were actually hand-crafted grenades. He was glad he still had a stack of these left, hidden away in the depths of the weapons hold. He hadn't had to use them for a long time. And they were not exactly ordinary weapons, either.

He pulled one out of his pocket, running his tentacled finger absent-mindedly over the pointed design. It was covered with a thin coating of a metal and inlaid with another, lighter material. The sharp end was perfect for wedging into an enemy's armour before it exploded, giving it greater penetration ability. The contents were an explosive, potent mixture of Davy's own creation. A few choice ingredients made sure that they disintegrated whatever living thing they came into contact with, so his crew couldn't carry them for long without getting serious burns. This was why he had had the grenades shot over to the other ship via the triple guns. Curiously, they had no effect on him.

Meanhile, Jimmylegs had scooped up some of the grenades himself and was lobbing them at the skeletons. Soon, three more were blown to smithereens. Penrod also tried picking up one of the explosives, but immediately dropped it like a hot potato. Not everyone could handle the boiling effect that was felt even from the outside.

With the skeletons distracted, it was easier for Maccus, Mai and Wyvern to make their way over to where the grenades were scattered. Wyvern looked at them thoughtfully. It had been a long time since he'd seen those. The splinters on his face shifted, slowly melting together after Davy's blow.

As another skeleton exploded nearby, Mai wrinkled her nose at the acrid smell. Whether that was caused by rotten marrow flying everywhere or by the contents of these unusual devices, she could not tell. But something about the vibe that the weapons gave off made her shudder.

"What's _in_ those things?" she asked Wyvern, who was looking pensive. "Can't be just plain gunpowder…"

He closed and opened his mouth several times before answering in a monotone. "Cannot say. Skeletons have no soul. Must be destroyed from the core. No soul…must be destroyed from core." His eyes were blank, and Mai guessed that Davy was stopping him from telling by tightening his grip on the man's soul. Whatever was left of it, that is.

Just then, the skeletons grew translucent and then melted out of sight. The Dutchman's crew scanned their surroundings carefully, but could detect no sign of the enemy.

"Is it over?" asked Crash hopefully.

"No. It has just begun." answered Wyvern. "Now they'll be attacking us while we cannot see them…" He stood over some grenades, ready to take them if necessary. Mai noticed that Jimmylegs' palms were smoking slightly, the flesh charred as though burned. Could it be from those strange grenades?

Mai winced as she felt something cold and invisible touch her arm. She jerked away, grabbing one of the grenades. But the device burned her skin as if it was on fire, and she let go of it with a cry. It felt like more of an icy, penetrating flame, different from simply touching a hot stove.

Again she felt bony fingers close around her arm, and this time she could not break away from their grip.


	16. Ashen Salvation

As the skeletons seized Mai, a sudden chill began to seep into her bones. Her vision flickered, blackness overcoming large chunks of it at a time. She sensed that it would not be long now before they destroyed her.

Just as her sight was reduced to a pinhole, the vice-like grip on her arms disappeared. The darkness and cold gave way to the warm air of the Caribbean. She heard two explosions off to her right, and the sound of splintering bones. She blinked as her sight came flooding back, looking around disjointedly. The sudden change in temperature and light caused her to sway and then fall onto the deck.

As her vision cleared, she looked at the scene before her in surprise. Wyvern stood a few feet from her between two smoking piles of bones. Both his arms had been blown off.

"What happened?" Mai asked, looking around in confusion. "Wyvern?" But he was silent, staring at the deck. It was Jimmylegs that answered her.

"When those invisible bone-sacks grabbed ye, Wyvern picked up two of these grenades here…then he went around you, swinging his arms all over since he didn't know where exactly them skeletons were," explained the bosun. Even he looked surprised. "When he found 'em… the explosion got both the skeletons and his arms. But with the power those things pack, he was lucky it wasn't his entire body."

"Wyvern? Why did you do that?" Mai blinked as she looked at the gaping holes on his shoulders. But there was no blood. In fact, his flesh barely looked like it belonged to something living. The few tendrils of it still attached to his body looked more like the fragments of an uprooted tree. They were made of a pale, grainy substance, and stained with what looked like sap. Or varnish.

Wyvern's stoic gaze did not change. It hadn't changed during the course of the entire scuffle, save for the alarm it reflected when Mai had been in the skeleton's clutches. "The Dutchman cannot afford to lose your soul," he said simply. As he spoke, he brought his eyes up to meet Mai's. They were glossy and dull, almost lifeless.

The girl shuddered. It almost seemed better to die still vigorous before reaching a state as dismal as his half-life.

"What's the plan now?" Jimmylegs' gruff voice interrupted her thoughts. "Unless someone's willin' to volunteer more arms, we got no way of seeing these things when they come for us."

An idea started to form inside Mai's head. "Well," she began. "Maccus was closer to the skeletons than I, but they still went for me instead. So…how about bait?"

"Sounds good to me. We should find a spot where everything funnels together to lessen their escape options," added Maccus.

"But we still can't see 'em! Even in a narrow corridor, how should are we supposed to tell where to throw?" complained the bosun. He felt something grab his leg, but managed to jerk out of the invisible grip before it could bring him down.

Mai looked thoughtfully at the pile of ash that had been Quittance. "I have an idea. If we spread that around the deck, we'll be able to see their footprints. And if one of them still manages to grab us, throwing a handful or two in the air should give us a rough outline of where the bones are."

"Let's give it a shot, then," Maccus said. The first mate looked darkly at the pile. "Since you can't handle the grenades, you'll deal with the ash-chucking." Jimmylegs nodded, rubbing his still-smouldering palms on his thighs.

Mai gritted her teeth. There was no getting out of this, and she needed to act before the skeletons struck again. She went over to the pile of ashes and extended her hand. Then she hesitated. What if the power that had disintegrated Quittance was still active inside those seemingly harmless-looking flakes?

"What are ye waiting for?" The voice was Wyvern's. "Their aura has burnt out along with Quittance's spirit. There's nothing left now, neither alive nor dangerous."

The girl took a breath and plunged her fist into the pile. Nothing happened. And yet she could not shake off a feeling of ominous dread that seemed to seep from the cold, grey dust under her fingers. She gathered two large handfuls. The ash was colder than natural. Its pale grains did not reflect the heat of the tropical sun. They seemed to suck in all warmth from their surroundings. Despite what Wyvern said, Mai thought she felt her fingertips growing numb with cold.

"Spread 'em out over there between the mast and the railing," said Maccus. He pointed to a spot on the deck. Mai obeyed, spreading ashes over the wooden planks until they were covered in soot. Larger pieces wedged into cracks within the floorboards and grey flecks muted out the wood's brown highlights. The covering of ashen powder smoothed the deck's rough surface, small grains filling in each nook and cranny. They did not scatter in the wind which blew over the ship, but clung to the deck like a carpet.

Stepping on the stuff seemed like the last thing she wanted to do. As she placed a foot on the grey layer, stabs of cold seemed to shoot up her leg. But Mai went on, coming to a halt in the middle of the spread ash while the other crewmen formed a semi-circle around her, their backs to the railing.

"Grenades at the ready!" growled Maccus. Jimmylegs had hauled a pile of them over to the ash they stood on and distributed a few to each crewman. "Keep yer eyes on the ground. They'll be coming any minute now."

All of them scrutinized the ground intently. So far, not a single speck of ash had moved…

Then a foot-shaped patch lifted from the ground. And another, and another. A line of footprints which was making a beeline for Mai. The bosun spotted them first, snatching a grenade from the ground and chucking it at a spot above one set of tracks. It sailed through the air and landed harmlessly on the deck. Jimmylegs cursed and threw another grenade. This time he was lucky- a skeleton flickered into view, its bones quickly loosing their transparency. The grenade was firmly lodged within its ribcage. The skeleton exploded within a split second of becoming visible.

More sets of tracks were appearing as the ash was stirred by numerous pairs of skeletal feet. They were heading for Mai, drawn by the irresistible purity of her soul. The crewmen threw grenade after grenade, but about a third of the shots still missed. It was not enough to simply know where a skeleton stood- their bones were narrow and hard to hit.

"We need to change tactics," said Maccus. "We're runnin' low on ammunition." He gestured to the pile of grenades. There were ten left, while eleven sets of footprints were closing in on them.

"At least they don't move that fast…" muttered Mai. She scooped up a handful of ash, ignoring the icy tremor it sent down her arm. "I'll go in closer and throw soot at them," she told the crewmen, trying to hide the hesitance in her voice. "Then you'll be able to see what you're throwing at." They nodded, hands ready over the explosives at their feet.

Mai forced her feet to move towards the nearest invisible skeleton's footprints. Her legs seemed to be made out of lead. It felt as if she were willingly striding towards her own death. The girl she'd been before the Dutchman would have dropped the unnatural ashes and ran. But her time on the ship had made her more resilient. After all that the captain had put her through, these skeletons did not terrify her as much as they once would have. So she forced her shaking muscles to obey her, and approached the skeleton as quickly as she dared.

She tried to picture how far it would be able to reach if it leaned forward to grab her. But she knew that she also had to consider how far she'd be able to throw. Thrown powder would not travel as far in the air as a more solid projectile, especially with these unpredictable gusts of wind. She kneaded the ashes between her fingers, squeezing them into a loose ball. Mai knew it couldn't be too compact; otherwise it would be no better than shooting blind like the crewmen were doing with their grenades. It needed to be solid enough to reach the skeleton, but loose enough to disintegrate in the air before impact.

Stopping about six feet away, she wound her arm back and threw. The ball was too loose and fell apart in the air shortly after leaving her hand. It would have fallen short of its target if the skeleton had not put on a burst of speed upon detecting Mai's proximity. It ran headfirst into the cloud of ash, and the grey flakes clung onto its bones, making a rough silhouette visible to the crew.

Mai turned and sprinted away, scooping up more ash as she ran. A well-aimed grenade soon blasted the pursuing skeleton into smithereens. Two sets of footprints came to intercept her, trying to cut her off from the crew. She flung a handful of ash at them before veering away, the sound of two explosions reaching her ears soon after.

She was snatching more soot off the deck when she heard four consecutive blasts. Several former crewmen had joined the fray, flinging ash at the skeletons before bombarding them with grenades. Their palms smoked from carrying the potent explosives, but like Wyvern they did not appear to feel any pain.

_Seven down…four to go_, she thought. Two of the remaining skeletons converged upon her. She chucked soot at them, but a gust of wind made it miss one. Jimmylegs promptly blasted the visible skeleton to bits. But the other one, still invisible, seized her arm. Again she felt the ice-like coldness seep into her being, blackness flickering at the edges of her vision-

Maccus and Jimmylegs threw at the same time. Both missed. One of the former crewmembers lifted his hand, the last grenade resting in his palm. He met Wyvern's gaze, and the former first mate gave him a very brief nod.

Mai grasped at the deck with the last of her strength. She felt as if she were groping through a thick, suffocating mist. The girl felt her fingers close on a mound of ash and flung it upwards with as much force as she could muster.

There was an ear-shattering explosion. The crewman had chucked the last grenade straight into the skeleton's pelvis. Mai struggled to her feet, covered in a mixture of ash and bone fragments. She made a mental note to go for a swim as soon as she could; the stuff was making her skin itch like crazy.

"We're outta grenades!" yelled the bosun. "And there's still two of the bone-bags left."

"Somebody needs to go over to the Dutchman and get some more-" began Maccus. Then he spotted footprints approaching the girl. "Mai, behind you!"

She was still rubbing the ash out of her eyes when two sets of skeletal fingers grabbed her arms. Mai struggled in their grasp, trying to ignore the coldness that that stretched through her veins like ice at the contact. She groped for her sword, knowing it would be useless against them. But even futile resistance had to be better than simply going limp and letting them have her soul.

_Ugh, first Davy Jones tortures me and now this…_she found herself thinking groggily. _Honestly, am I ever gonna get a break? And why the heck is everyone after _my_ soul in particular?_

Davy had been watching the entire battle with bated breath. Things had been going reasonably well; the skeletons were being destroyed one by one and no more souls had been taken. Then they'd run out of ammunition.

A towering wave of water now swept across both ships. Davy grabbed the railing to keep his balance. He felt weaker with each soul that the skeletons took, and it seemed like they were about to have another one. Even if his men had more grenades, the rogue wave had swept away all the ashes that they'd been using to detect the invisible skeletons.

The captain's eyes were fixed on the crumpled form on the other ship's deck. He ordered a few of his men to gather some soot from the cannons, grab grenades and swing over. The scrambled to do as they were told, but it was evident to him that Mai would be long gone by the time they got over there.

_I can afford to lose that one,_ he thought to himself. _Not a big deal. _Indeed, he saw no prominent further uses for Mai. Most of his men were stronger fighters and better sailors anyway. She hadn't even been bound to the ship that long; her soul could scarcely be that great of a loss.

Wyvern's warning floated back into his thoughts. Davy frowned, recalling the former first mate's unusual rescue. It had indeed stopped the Dutchman from losing another soul, but his desperation was strange. The man had been lucky that the explosions had only taken off his arms. If the detonation had gotten his entire body, he'd be easy picking for the skeletons. So why would Wyvern knowingly risk himself?


	17. Crystalline Release

Mai fumbled with the hilt of her rapier. Above her she heard the sound of metal swinging through air- her crewmates were not keen to lose another member either. While in a normal battle they would scarcely have given her second thought, this unusual threat had forced them to band together. A loss to the Dutchman was a loss felt by all. But their efforts were in vain. Their weapons hadn't been effective even when the skeletons were visible.

"Nothing we can do!" she could dimly hear Maccus shouting. "Legs, grab a rope and swing over to the Dutchman! Bring more grenades…"

The captain's frown deepened. He recalled something about different souls having different values to the ship. When he first started ferrying the dead, Calypso had explained to him that the ship drew strength from those it carried and the nature of their souls could affect it. She'd warned him that if his own soul were ever to be tainted, then the ship and everyone on it would feel the effect. And that had proved to be far too true…

She'd also said that the Flying Dutchman could host both corrupted souls and pure ones. Both were among the dead that he'd transported. But like a flower turning towards the sun, the ship would always reach for balance. Calypso had insisted that it was important for the Dutchman to have at least some pure souls on board, as they provided a different depth of power than the corrupted ones…

Davy felt a deep, unsettling mental vibration coming from the core of his ship. He tuned in, trying to decipher what the Dutchman was trying to tell him. It had been a long time since he'd had this sort of communication issue. But now something was holding him back from understanding.

Concentrating, he forced all of his own thoughts and emotions to the back of his mind and reached deeper into the Dutchman.

He felt the ship screaming with protest as Mai's soul was pried, inch by inch, from its grasp. The realization hit him like a tidal wave. His own hatred of the girl had made him blind to what the Dutchman had been trying to tell him all along. For years now the ship had been fuelled by corrupted souls only. The unexpected purity of Mai's soul had provided it with a different kind of power, like a fresh burst of clear water among all the mud. It had wolfed up the girl's soul eagerly, firmly setting her amongst its foundations. Despite all it had been tainted by over the years, the ship was still naturally inclined to seek balance. So losing her soul now would be a huge upset to the ship's already fragile equilibrium. Davy could not afford to let his vessel suffer such a blow.

Mai could no longer see anything. Or feel anything. There was only the cold. Only the ice that gnawed at her bones. It was as if her insides had frozen solid. Her lungs ached as though each breath caused icicles within them to break.

The ice was spreading. The seconds seemed to stretch into hours, though she'd only been in the skeleton's grip for a few moments. A void seemed to open in her arm, at the point of contact between her and the skeleton. The feeling spread until even the cold began to fade away. Mai was suddenly very aware of how the numbness crawled up her limbs and sunk into her spine. This empty nothingness spreading through her body was even worse than the cold; it was the void of death. Her very life force was falling through that gap, being channelled into the unnatural bony fingers that gripped her arms.

The crewmen were scrambling to find an intact line with which they could swing over to the Dutchman. Most of the ropes crumbled to dust within their hands. Suddenly Davy Jones materialized in the middle of the deck next to Mai and the two invisible skeletons. Evidently, the barriers preventing his crewmen from teleporting weren't powerful enough to work on him.

Two pointed grenades rested in the captain's hand. Like Wyvern, he did not throw, but rather swung his arm around until the business ends of the explosives came into contact with one of the invisible skeletons. With a loud explosion, a cloud of bone-dust rose up to obscure the scene. The crewmen, frozen, stared at it in shock. But as the air cleared it became evident the blast had not affected Davy like it did Wyvern. In fact, his throwing arm was no worse for wear and he had swiftly retrieved another grenade from his pocket.

The second skeleton had been knocked back by the shock wave of the double blast, releasing Mai. Still invisible, it ducked under Davy's arm and seized his shoulders.

It felt as if he'd just crashed into an iceberg. Wave upon wave of paralysing, bitter cold emanated from where the skeleton gripped him. Davy was acutely aware of it draining him. Not his life force, but his power. Around him, the crewmen began to collapse. Jimmylegs fell to the ground clutching his chest. He could barely breathe. Maccus was down as well, suddenly too weak to move. Mai lay where she had fallen, the pallor in her cheeks rising.

The timbers holding the Dutchman's hull together snapped one by one. The ship tilted onto its side and began to sink.

Davy fumbled in his pocket for another grenade. With the last of his strength, he grabbed one and smashed it into the skeleton. Another explosion resonated throughout the ship. His head cleared almost instantly; the captain irritably brushed the bone fragments from his jacket.

Around him, his crewmen began to stir groggily. Davy looked past them, at his ship. The Dutchman had stopped sinking, but it still lay on its side, half-covered by water. He frowned; his ship was so weakened by all the souls lost that it could not right itself. The damage needed to be repaired manually.

Davy returned his gaze to the skeletons' ship. If it was indeed powered by Zambia, then her power would have some sort of physical anchor. He just had to find it. Then, perhaps, he could use it to repair the Dutchman.

He stepped over Mai and headed into the hold. It seemed like the logical place to look. And indeed, Davy could feel a peculiar sort of humming coming from the bottom of the ship. It got stronger with every step that he took down the stairs. By the time he got to the end, the entire floor seemed to vibrate beneath him.

But his search of the hold ended up yielding nothing.

He stopped. Something wasn't quite right here. The hold was empty, yet he could clearly sense a source of power nearby. Davy walked back towards the starboard side, stopping at the spot where he could feel it most clearly. An image came to mind from the battle between the ships, of how a blow from his triple guns had torn a huge hole in the enemy's hull. But water was not filling it as it naturally should; it was being repelled by something.

"Of course…" Davy muttered. He slid his sword from his sheath.

Maccus raised his head. Everything still seemed fuzzy and his head spun as he struggled to his feet. Through a daze he'd seen Davy walk down to the hold, and this was where the first mate went now, still tripping over his own feet as he went down the stairs. There were unsteady footfalls behind him; Mai had also risen and was following him down.

They arrived just in time to see their captain plunge his sword through the floor.

"What on earth-?" Mai decided that she was probably hallucinating. Why would Davy try to sink this ship when the Dutchman itself was half-sunk?

"C-captain?" Maccus stammered.

"What?" Davy turned to them irritably. "Can't ye see that I'm in the middle of something-uh?"

"The Dutchman is sinking, sir."

"I'm aware of that. Now get back out there, first mate! Grab the crew and take them back to the ship. Gather anyone who fell overboard when the Dutchman started to sink."

"Er…" Maccus was about to comment on the obvious problem of boarding and operating a sinking ship but thought better of it. "Aye, captain." He turned and stumbled up the stairs. Mai followed him, but stopped at the top and crouched down. She wanted to see what unusual plan Davy had in mind.

The captain did not notice her. He turned back to his broadsword, which was impaled in the wooden floor. He grabbed the hilt and pulled, slicing through the rotten wood easily. The blade carved a gap several feet wide.

Mai watched in awe. The hole went right through the hull, exposing the swirling sea beneath. But the water did not enter the hold. It frothed and writhed beneath Davy's sword, kept at bay by an invisible wall. Mai caught a glimpse of something glowing at the edge of the gap. As he cut away one last piece, the object came into view: wedged on the underside of the hull between the wood and the water was a glowing crystal. It shone with an eerie, unnatural light.

The captain extended his blade towards it. Mai tore her eyes away from the shimmering glow and got to her feet. Davy looked like he was going to cut it out and she realized that she did not want to be around when that happened; if the crystal was what was repelling the water, then the ship might start sinking once he removed it. As she headed out onto the deck and began searching for a line, Mai realized that she had seen that kind of glow before: the sphere on the island.

His broadsword connected with the crystal amidst a shower of sparks. With a jerk, Davy wrenched the crystal free and grabbed it with his crab claw. A torrent of water exploded into the hold, knocking him back. But Davy hardly noticed. He was looking at the crystal in his claw. There had not been any protective barriers on it, as Zambia assumed him to be dead. He felt the familiar aura of its power- a taste of what he had missed out on when she beat him to the sphere.

Davy tightened his hold on the crystal. He would still lay claim to that power- he just had to kill her first.

The deck lurched beneath Mai's feet. Her fingers almost slipping, she grabbed onto the rope and swung over to the Flying Dutchman. It lay on its side, its hull cracked. Crewmen were scattered about the ship- some on it, some in the water around it. Maccus was rounding up the men, throwing ropes to the ones overboard.

"I don't see how we're gettin' her out of this," said a gruff voice to her left. Mai turned to see Jimmylegs perched on the upturned hull next to Koleniko. "Ship's in no condition to sail and we're in no condition to be doin' serious repairs."

"Aye," said the coxswain. "But captain Jones raises sunken ships all the time. I don't think he'll have trouble with this. She's not even completely under."

"That's different," Maccus overheard the conversation and joined in. He spoke gloomily. "The cap'n has power over the sea, so he can raise ships that have been claimed by it. But the Dutchman hasn't been taken by the ocean, she's been damaged by those skeletal abominations destroying her souls."

Mai listened silently. That made sense- if Davy could fix the Dutchman that easily, he probably wouldn't resort to whatever it is he was doing with that crystal. She wondered what his plan was.

Davy teleported to the top of the sinking skeleton ship. Then he snapped the crystal with his claw. It shattered into many sparkling fragments, falling to the deck around him. Power flowed into him. He pulled it from the broken crystal with his will, sucking it into his soul. He channelled it through his connection to the Dutchman. Nothing could substitute for the souls his ship had lost, but the crystal's power should be enough to give it a boost and help it heal.

"In that case," said Jimmylegs. "Unless he can magically fix the hull and set her upright, she's not going anywhere…"

The words were hardly out of his mouth when the hull's broken timbers began to glow. With loud snaps, the shattered ends joined. Something was weaving the wooden fibers back together. A creaking moan rose up from the depths of the ship, but this time it was one of relief.

A large wave crashed into the Dutchman. Shouts of surprise came from the crew- the wave had come out of nowhere. It swept most of the crew overboard, but when it passed, the ship was floating right-side up again.

Davy appeared on his ship's deck. The majority of his crew was overboard, but the current here was weak so he was not concerned. He put a hand onto the Dutchman's railing. It needed to get more souls. And soon. Davy couldn't fight Zambia while his ship was in a weakened state.

"Maccus, gather the crew and set a north eastern course," Davy said to his first mate. Then he turned and walked to his cabin.

Koleniko looked cheerfully at Jimmylegs as they bobbed next to the Dutchman's newly-repaired hull. "You owe me a case of rum, Legs."

The bosun scowled. "Darn…"


End file.
